Falcons RB Bijan Robinson Talks New Contract, Tua, Penix, Stefanski & More I The Rich Eisen Show

Bijan Robinson joined the show from his home office surrounded by Colgate products, which Rich said made the room look so immaculate he assumed Robinson was about to get his teeth cleaned. Robinson took the partnership seriously. He is big on preventing health problems before they start, and oral health, he said, is part of that. Rich had a simpler read on the benefit. As Robinson runs past defenders, they get a whiff of minty fresh.

"It can be a distraction for the defenders," Robinson agreed, "cuz they do smell good breath."

That reminded Rich of Hoosiers, which Robinson has never seen, and the scene where Gene Hackman's coach wants a defender close enough to know what gum his man is chewing. The answer comes back: Dentyne. Robinson laughed, because he had a high school coach who used that line and never knew where it came from.

Then Rich congratulated him on his new contract and asked what it says to the world.

"I think it's cool just for the running back position," Robinson said. "Just to continue to grow and to continue to see the value of it." He believes the position has been a little devalued in recent years, and he pointed to Jahmyr Gibbs and Jonathan Taylor getting paid as well. "It just shows the importance of having that kind of player, those kind of impacts on the offense, on the team."

There is no running back text chain, he said, but he knows all the guys and has talked to all of them at events over the past couple of years. They support each other and still compete against each other. And the OG of that group is exactly who you would think.

"He's the OG," Robinson said of Derrick Henry. He talked to Henry about a month ago after his deal got done. "I know he's still the best in the league now."

The new offense in Atlanta is Kevin Stefanski's, and Robinson's one-word description was explosive. "Very, very explosive." He called the staff huge offensive minds and said the thing that stands out about Stefanski is creativity. "He sees matchups and he wants to exploit them, and he wants to do it at a high level, and he's very competitive."

Robinson was careful not to oversell it. "I could talk all I want about it and be all excited all I want about it, but ultimately, like, we have to go out there and execute it at the highest level."

Rich, who promised to always shoot him straight, raised the concern directly. He didn't see much from the offense in the preseason, and when Tua Tagovailoa was out there, the people watching in August didn't come away with much confidence. Tagovailoa is starting Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Robinson acknowledged that plays happen and people talk. But he said what the team does in practice has been fun to watch and fun to be a part of, even if nobody sees it. "They were all confident in him, man," he said. Tagovailoa has been doing great in training camp, and he has a lot of experience in this league.

The message from the skill players to their quarterback is a simple one. "Our job is to make him look good on the field," Robinson said. "We just say, just get the ball in our hands, and we'll do the rest for you."

As for Michael Penix, Robinson said he is still practicing and doing all the recovery work to get himself ready. "With Mike, it's just trust the process."

Rich then admitted the next few minutes were for him. He has the second overall pick in the fantasy league he most wants to win, and it looks like he will be drafting Robinson the next night. Robinson had 366 touches last year, third most in the league. Will there be more?

"I'm just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win," Robinson said. "If it's more, then let's go." He added, generously, "as long as you win your fantasy league."

Rich decided to interpret "this team" broadly. Robinson went along with it. "You're a part of this team."

Robinson keeps his personal statistical goals private, but he did explain the system. He writes specific goals and looks at them every day. The categories include faith, family, leadership and football, and within football there are rushing goals, receiving goals and team goals. The headline goal is simple. "Be better than last year." And writing them down, he said, means "now I've got to do it."

Rich also noted the one other team he and Robinson are aligned on this week: Texas football, playing Ohio State. Rich, a Michigan man, is ready to wear Bevo horns and watch McConaughey movies. Robinson didn't give a score, but he gave something bigger.

"I've been telling people, if we win this game this week, we won't lose a game the rest of the season," he said. "That's all I'll say."

Rich warned him that Cam Heyward had been on the show an hour earlier, and a Buckeye might have something to say to him before Sunday's game in Pittsburgh.

Before letting him go, Rich offered a send-off for the season. "May you floss the competition." He also revealed his own fantasy team name, You Donkeys, "because that's what the rest of the guys are in my league." Rich hasn't won in a long time, and he is hoping Robinson helps end that streak.