Falcons' Bijan Robinson Eyes 2,000 Rushing Yards in 2024 NFL Season: 'Let's Get It'

On the heels of a solid rookie season, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is eyeing history in 2024.

According to Daniel Flick of Sports Illustrated's Falcon Report, Robinson expressed his desire to rush for 2,000 yards and believes it is a realistic goal:

"I want 2,000 yards rushing. I know those are big expectations, what we can do as an offense, with all the weapons, our O-line, with [offensive coordinator] Zac [Robinson] being at the helm, it can be something special.

"I think it's going to be one of those special seasons that Atlanta's been waiting for us and all of us as players have been waiting for. So, let's get it."

If Robinson does reach the 2,000-yard threshold, he will be only the ninth running back in NFL history to accomplish the feat, joining O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Derrick Henry.

After Robinson's spectacular collegiate career at Texas, the Falcons selected him with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, which is a rarity for running backs in today's NFL.

The 22-year-old was a finalist for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and finished fifth after rushing for 976 yards and four touchdowns on 214 carries, while adding 58 receptions for 487 yards and another four scores.

To some degree, the Falcons eased Robinson in as a rookie, as he reached the 20-carry mark in a game only once and rarely carried the ball more than 15 times.

Tyler Allgeier, who is a solid running back in his own right, cut into Robinson's workload, rushing 186 times for 683 yards.

It can be argued that Robinson's biggest detriment as a rookie is now out of the picture, as the Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith. In addition to being head coach, Smith was also the Falcons' play-caller, so the distribution of running back snaps was largely up to him.

Replacing Smith is Raheem Morris, who is the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and has coached both offense and defense in the NFL, giving him a unique perspective.

After serving as defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams for the past few seasons, Morris brought one of the NFL's best young, offensive minds with him from L.A. in the form of former Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson.

Robinson was part of an offensive staff that helped Kyren Williams rush for 1,144 yards last season despite missing five games, which suggests the ceiling is high for Bijan in 2024.

As of now, the Falcons' quarterback situation is unsettled since it is unlikely Desmond Ridder will be back as the starter next season.

The Falcons figure to address the quarterback situation in some way this offseason whether it means signing a free agent like Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield, acquiring Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears in a trade or drafting a franchise signal-caller.

A strong running game would give any of those QB options the best chance to succeed, so Robinson figures to be the most heavily featured aspect of Atlanta's offense in 2024.

While 2,000 rushing yards may be a bit far-fetched, Robinson has the talent to put up huge numbers and possibly vie for Offensive Player of the Year honors if the usage is in his favor.