Arthur Smith on Bijan Robinson's concerning status: 'There's nothing there'
Atlanta Falcons (4-3) head coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday he isn’t concerned with the NFL’s inquiry into why the team declined to make running back Bijan Robinson‘s illness public ahead of the 16-13 Week 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) this past Sunday.
“You’re talking about sensationalized things,” Smith said, via ESPN. “I understand outrage and drama sells. Guys, like, if you really understand how things really operate that there’s nothing, there’s nothing there. So I don’t know what, I haven’t given one second of thought about it.”
Robinson, despite not being listed on the injury report ahead of the game, played just 11 snaps in the win over Tampa Bay, taking one carry for three yards. With fantasy football managers and bettors in the midst of a meltdown, Smith revealed to the FOX broadcast that Robinson was ill and “just not feeling all that great.” The NFL launched an inquiry Monday to determine why Robinson’s illness wasn’t reported before the game.
After the game, Falcons team reporter Terrin Waack spoke with Robinson about his limited role in Atlanta’s offense. The 21-year-old revealed that a serious headache is what hindered him from taking the field as much as he’d like on Sunday.
“It [started] last night, I was feeling weird,” Robinson said. “I woke up, just completely out of it. I tried to take medicine so I could be good for the game. But my head was hurting. Bad. I don’t know what was going on. I tried to go in pregame, but then coach [Arthur] Smith said, ‘We’ll be all right. Let’s get you right.’”
Bijan Robinson feeling better ahead of Week 8 vs Titans
Robinson wasn’t listed on Wednesday’s injury report and plans to play in Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans this Sunday.
Robinson has had an impressive start to his rookie campaign with the Falcons, entering the game as the league’s 10th-leading rusher with 401 yards on the season. He also led all running backs in the NFL with 26 receptions through six games, adding 189 receiving yards and two touchdowns to his receiving stat line.
The Falcons rushing attack was still strong without Robinson, as Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson were able to shoulder the load with Robinson supporting them from the sidelines. The duo combined for 115 yards on 31 carries against the Buccaneers.