FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — There's a joke that occasionally makes its way around the quarterback room at the Atlanta Falcons' practice facility.
"If you get in trouble," Michael Penix Jr. said, "just 'Bij' it."
Meaning: Give the ball to Bijan Robinson. Hand it off to him. Check it down to him. However you do it, just put the ball in his hands. He'll take it from there.
In the wake of Robinson's contract extension becoming official, players and coaches alike regaled the media with stories and congratulations for the dynamic running back.
"I feel like he's the best running back in the league," Penix said.
Drake London, when asked what Robinson means to the team and offense, had a one-word answer: "Everything."
Jake Matthews added: "The thing that sticks out the most is his ability to cut and, while changing direction, still maintain speed and continue to press vertical. That's really hard to do... and he makes it look easy."
When the morning news of Robinson's extension broke Tuesday, actor Matthew McConaughey wasted little time reaching out.
"I think (the news) hit at 7:56 a.m.," Robinson recalled. "7:58 a.m., he texted me."
Over the next 24 hours, some of college football's best running backs contacted Robinson through social media. Their congratulations were often accompanied by gratitude — thanking Robinson for helping re-shape the running back market, one they may soon benefit from themselves.
That meant a lot to Robinson.
"To get the position back to what it used to be," he said, "that's the whole goal of what I'm trying to do."
Former coaches and current players reached out, too.
Jahmyr Gibbs and Robinson have been in near-constant communication over the past week, with both entering training camp seeking contract extensions.
"I hope he gets the most out of what he deserves," Robinson said of Gibbs, who has yet to reach a deal with Detroit.
Arthur Smith, the Falcons' former head coach and now Ohio State's offensive coordinator, also reached out after Robinson signed.
"Just because you got this contract doesn't mean you gotta start buying everything," Smith quipped to Robinson. "Just be yourself."
Current coaches offered reminders of their own. Running backs coach Michael Pitre has consistently told Robinson "there's more in the tank" and that, ultimately, "this contract don't mean nothing" compared to the work still ahead.
And Robinson has indeed returned to work.
During his Wednesday afternoon news conference, Robinson addressed his decision to sit out of practice while negotiations were ongoing. Although he was on the practice field every day during the first week of training camp, he did not participate in drills.
"I was itching, boy," Robinson said of this holding period. "I was on that sideline like, bruh, I gotta get out there. ... I am not the guy to sit. I want to be out there. I want to be with the team. I want to be with the guys. So, for me to have to watch — not watching with an injury, just to watch to be a good teammate — that was pretty tough."
Robinson joked that he kept calling his agent throughout the week. Not to ask how negotiations were progressing, but rather (somewhat sheepishly) whether he could do "even a little something" at practice.
Through it all, though, things remained "very amicable" between Robinson, his representatives and the Falcons. Robinson said the process was built on a foundation of mutual respect.
"But I know that's all a part of the plan of the business side of things," Robinson said. "And it all did work out."
It certainly did as Robinson signed the deal Wednesday morning that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
He's not back at full speed just yet. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said the Falcons will ramp Robinson back up throughout the week, while Robinson added the plan is for him to gradually take on more reps with each practice.
After Wednesday's practice, Robinson walked from the locker room to the team meeting room for the Falcons' post-practice regroup. His phone never stopped buzzing. There were countless congratulatory texts — all messages he planned to answer... later.
For now, it's business as usual for Robinson.
And that should continue to put defenders on notice whenever the Falcons decide to "just 'Bij' it."
The Atlanta Falcons extend Bijan Robinson's contract through 2030. Take a look at some of our favorite images and relive some of his best moments in Atlanta.
