Let’s be honest here, cutting hasn’t exactly been in the Falcons‘ bag in recent years. Sure, Atlanta’s had backs with burst, guys who could lower the shoulder or hit the edge with some juice. Tevin Coleman had straight-line speed. Devonta Freeman gave you that jittery bounce. But a true elite-level cutter? That’s been missing.
Well, apparently not anymore. According to Saquon Barkley (a man who knows a thing or two about footwork), the Falcons finally have one. And not just any cutter. The best in the league. But what makes this moment even better isn’t just the praise itself… it’s how Atlanta’s young star handled it.
When Saquon Barkley called Bijan Robinson the best cutter in the league, it lit up timelines and group chats across the NFL world. But Atlanta’s 23-year-old running back didn’t go Hollywood. “Hearing him say that means that I’m doing something the right way..I pride myself in creating leverage. So him saying I’m the best means a lot. I even texted him saying I appreciate the love. I have so much respect for him,” he said.
FILE PHOTO: Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) celebrates running back Bijan Robinson’s (7) touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
It’s normal when you tout a teammate as ‘the best in your league’ when he plays in a different position than you. But a running back saying this about another running back? From another team? That’s big. And it only underscores the respect the two have built over time.
Bijan has called Saquon a role model and a mentor, shaping how he approaches the game. “It’s cool anytime you have some of these young backs… There’s still guys that are looking up to me and want to be the guy that rushes for 2,000 yards next. That’s part of it, and I love having that and I love just getting love from the young guys too,” Saquon said as a response.
Saquon told the AJC he admires Bijan just as much as Bijan looks up to him. No ego. No big-bro-little-bro act. Just a shared understanding: cut different, think different, move different. And for Bijan, getting that kind of co-sign from someone who lives precision and power? That’s not just a compliment. That’s a torch getting passed.
Because Saquon didn’t call him the best cutter in the league simply because of the relationship they’ve built. The man might actually be the best. By quite a margin.
Why Bijan’s ‘best cutter’ tag is appropriate
Saquon had no doubts. “There’s nobody who’s able to cut like Bijan Robinson in the NFL. You can go argue with your mom about that,” adding, “trust me, I love myself and I think I have great cuts, and there’s nobody,” he remarked. And you do know the man loves himself. And Bijan really is that guy.
What sets Bijan apart isn’t just the burst, it’s that manipulation. He’s not just outrunning defenders; he’s baiting them, shifting weight, changing angles, making guys bite before they even realize they’re in the wrong gap. Falcons RB coach Michael Pitre said it best back in camp: “He understands leverage in a way most guys don’t at that age.”
Oh, and Bijan Robinson ranked top three in the entire league in missed tackles forced per attempt last season (0.29 per carry). That’s right up there with Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley. But the way Bijan gets defenders whiffing? No one does it like him.
It’s not just horizontal either. Bijan stacks cuts like combos: press the gap, bait the bounce, then boom, knife it back inside before defenders even shift their hips. It’s surgical. It’s brutal. It’s LaDainian Tomlinson flashbacks. And in fact, LT himself said on NFL Network: “Bijan is the closest thing I’ve seen to that clean, multi-cut style we saw in the early 2000s. He can reset a run in midair.”
So when Saquon said, “you can go argue with your mom about that,” he might’ve genuinely meant it.
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