Source – NFL asks why Bijan Robinson’s health wasn’t reported by Falcons

The NFL Probes Atlanta Falcons’ Handling of Injured Rookie Running Back Bijan Robinson

The NFL is currently questioning the Atlanta Falcons regarding their compliance with injury reports and their knowledge of rookie running back Bijan Robinson’s physical condition, a source informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

As per league policy, it is customary for the NFL to investigate teams when a player who is not mentioned in the weekly injury report ends up being unavailable for a game or significantly underperforms. Violators face fines.

During Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Robinson was not brought in until the final two minutes of the first quarter. At halftime, Coach Arthur Smith revealed to Fox that Robinson was feeling unwell.

In response to the situation, Smith clarified on Monday that Robinson will “be fine.”

After the game, Robinson disclosed that he had been experiencing headaches and started to feel strange on Saturday night, struggling to sleep and waking up “feeling completely out of it.”

In an attempt to alleviate his symptoms, Robinson admitted to taking medication, but the pain in his head persisted.

Robinson also mentioned that his headache persisted after the game on Sunday. He disclosed that he had not been tested for a concussion nor administered a COVID test. Furthermore, during the open media session on Monday, he was not spotted in the locker room.

An ESPN source revealed that the Falcons believed Robinson would play the game regardless, hence the team did not feel the need to include him in the injury report.

Robinson affirmed that he never contemplated sitting out of Sunday’s 16-13 victory; however, he only played a total of 11 snaps without any targets and only one touch — a 3-yard run during the final drive which set up Younghoe Koo’s game-winning field goal.

When queried about why Robinson was given a carry in that specific situation, Smith attributed it to the nature of the play itself.

“He was in a two-minute situation,” Smith explained. “He gained us 3 yards, and it was the result of situational football. He impacted the play calling, and that’s why he was in. It’s quite straightforward.”

The eighth overall pick in this year’s draft, Robinson has amassed 81 carries for 404 yards. Additionally, he has recorded 26 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Contributions to this report by ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.