FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — From the moment Tyler Allgeier walked through the front doors of the Falcons' facility in 2022, he's been a sustainable and consistent player for the organization.
Even as quarterbacks have come and gone; even as the Falcons used a top-10 pick on Bijan Robinson; Allgeier has always been there, just outside of the spotlight, grinding, working and picking up those tough yards to do his part in helping Atlanta become one of the most dynamic rushing teams in the league.
He broke the century-mark in rushing yards his rookie season, and set a new franchise record for rushing yards by a first-year running back. Although Robinson has been the featured back since, Allgeier's role in the offense has remained important. He may not be the fastest running back to ever grace the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but there are few who rival his physicality. When it comes to Allgeier, he gets more difficult to tackle as a game wears on and continually forces a defender to make a business decision as to whether or not to throw his whole body at the oncoming collision.
Few can match him in terms of reliability, either. Allgeier has missed only one game in three seasons for the Falcons — Week 1 of his rookie season — and he has never fumbled since entering the NFL.
That's Allgeier. And what he's been for Atlanta since the organization drafted him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft cannot be pushed aside.
It's why the organization — and Allgeier himself — will have a big decision to make at the conclusion of the 2025 season when Allgeier's rookie deal expires. And one would expect Allgeier to draw a significant market for running back hungry teams. Thanks to players like Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs and Robinson, the valuation of the running back has increased significantly since 2020. That bodes well for Allgeier and his next contract.
Are the Falcons in the running to give him one, though? That's the question, and it's one swirling around in the back of a lot of people's minds, especially when one considers what the Falcons could get for Allgeier in a hypothetical trade situation prior to the expiration of his rookie deal.
That's not at all where the Falcons' coaches heads are right now, though. They have too much yet to do with Allgeier on the roster.
"Ultimately, as we look at this season coming up, my goal is to make sure that he continues to improve upon the things that I think he needs to improve upon to keep his trajectory of being an elite player in this league," running backs coach Michael Pitre said. "We've talked about it, he understands it. And I'll say this: He's a highly competitive player, so he's going to have his own goals and aspirations."
Goals and aspirations that go beyond his partnership with Robinson, which is an important one to be sure.
But sometimes — truth be told — you can't talk about Allgeier without talking about Robinson, too.
Even the most storied players of the franchise's history put them together.
"Oh, man, I mean, just Tyler and Bijan, man. Like, Tyler gonna do the dirty work. Bijan gonna just be dynamic," Michael Vick said last week when making a visit to an Atlanta practice. "And this season right here gonna be the breakout season,"
The role the Falcons have had Allgeier play the last couple years provides two distinct benefits: It adds physicality and enhances their overall run game, and it lessens the overall workload of Robinson.
"When you have another guy like Tyler in the room, he can take a lot off of (Bijan) as well," Pitre said. "Their games are different but the production is still high. If you're in the season and Bijan needs a break, we have no problem throwing Tyler in there knowing that we're still going to get very high production. That part also helps backs create a little bit of longevity through a long season."
And that longevity piece? That's a key part of Allgeier's story and what he's been for Atlanta throughout his career here thus far. Whether or not that career continues beyond this next season? That's a bit TBD. One thing is certain, though: What the Falcons have gotten out of Allgeier — the player and person — is all the makings of a Day 3 success story.
"It's getting that collaborative mindset of how do we make sure we maximize him and his ability, because all we can focus on is right now," Pitre said. "The future is going to take care of the future and those things. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
