It seems every time the Atlanta Falcons play a primetime football game, former Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson has the performance of a lifetime.
That much was true, once again, last night as the Falcons demolished the New Orleans Saints and Robinson racked up yet another incredible stat line.
Robinson earned 147 total yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Saints, literally carrying Atlanta to the 45-24 victory and improving the Falcons' record to 2-2 on the year.
As the Longhorn Legend was leaving the Superdome, fans began chanting "M-V-P" for his unmistakably top-tier performance. And, honestly, that's exactly what Robinson deserves.
M-V-P 🗣️
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2026
The Falcons fans in New Orleans showing Bijan love pic.twitter.com/e2zW91AcjB
Earlier this season, we wrote that he was on track for the Offensive Player of the Year award, having already been named the Offensive Player of the Week following his game against Green Bay. However, the way he is the true leader of the Falcons has him looking more like an MVP and the OPOY.
Bijan Robinson could cement his greatness with an MVP-worthy season
Now, most people are accustomed to quarterbacks winning the league's MVP award, but that doesn't mean that a running back can't win it. In fact, throughout the league's history, 16 running backs have been named NFL MVP:
- Jim Brown, fullback, 3x MVP (1957, 1958, 1965)
- Paul Hornung, halfback, 1961
- Jim Taylor, fullback, 1962
- Larry Brown, running back, 1972
- OJ Simpson, running back, 1973
- Walter Payton, running back, 1977
- Earl Campbell, running back, 1979
- Marcus Allen, running back, 1985
- Thurman Thomas, running back, 1991
- Emmitt Smith, running back, 1993
- Barry Sanders, running back, 1997 co-MVP
- Terrell Davis, running back, 1998
- Marshall Faulk, running back, 2000
- Shaun Alexander, running back, 2005
- LaDainian Tomlinson, running back, 2006
- Adrian Peterson, running back, 2012
No running back has been named MVP since Adrian Peterson (yes, the former Oklahoma Sooners) in 2012, and no running back has been named MVP more times than Jim Brown, who won it three times between 1957 and 1965.
One former Longhorn has secured the league's MVP award before: Earl Campbell, who beat out the then-San Diego Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts.
Simply put, if Robinson secured this award, especially with the amount of talent that the league has at quarterback right now, it would undeniably cement him as one of the all-time greats at the position.
So far this season, he has rushed for 494 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, earning an additional 120 yards and one touchdown through the air. In Peterson's MVP-winning season, he earned 2,097 rushing yards for 12 touchdowns, alongside 217 receiving yards for one touchdown. He did that in 16 games.
While Robinson will have 17 games in the regular season, he is currently on pace to end the year with 2,099.5 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, alongside 510 receiving yards for 4.25 receiving touchdowns.
Looks pretty MVP-worthy, don't you think?
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