Raheem Morris Reveals Next Step in Bijan Robinson's Development

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris had a bit of a surprise answer when asked what he expected from Bijan Robinson in 2025.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson proved in his second season that he wasn’t just good, but that he belongs in the conversation with the league’s top backs. He had 1,456 yards on the ground and added 431 yards on the ground. His 1,887 yards from scrimmage were good for fourth overall in the NFL. 

As one of the most complete backs in the NFL, what more can the 23-year-old do? According to Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris, the sky remains the limit for the talented back. He thinks the next step in Robinson’s development isn’t actually on the field, but off it. 

"It's hard to say what you need out of him,” Morris struggled for an answer when asked what his expectations were for Robinson in year three. “I believe, on some of the stuff that he wants to do, in his own words, are some of the leadership things that he wants to bring out. 

“For us, we just need Bijan to be the best version of himself when we talk about Bijan. So, what he's done, he's done a nice job of forming it in his room first with him and Tyler [Allgeier] being kind of senior leadership in there and really getting guys like Carlos [Washington Jr.] and Jase [McClellan] and those guys to buy into what they bring into the package every single day.”  

Stepping up and becoming a leader should be one of the natural steps for Robinson. From an on-field standpoint, it stands to reason that getting more efficiency out of Robinson would be key.

He touched the ball 365 times in 2024. The Falcons probably don’t want that number to get higher, but they’d like to see more big plays.

The Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs had fewer touches than Robinson, 302 to 365, but he had more total yards and two more touchdowns despite considerably fewer touches. The strong arm of Michael Penix Jr. should help Robinson find more open space with fewer stacked boxes, which should help increase his efficiency in 2025. 

The biggest takeaway from Morris's thoughts about Robinson becoming a leader is referring to the running back group as “his room.” The expectation is for Robinson to take a more active approach in leading his position group. 

This goes far into helping Penix find his footing as the face of the franchise and all the responsibilities that brings to the table. In a way, Morris expects more from his prized running back to continue to produce on the field, but grab the mantle of responsibility when dealing with various aspects of the offense.