The Atlanta Falcons clearly needed a running back after losing Tyler Goodson off the practice squad to the Dallas Cowboys.
They remedied that need on Wednesday by signing an RB with some quality NFL experience.
The new signing, announced by the Falcons, is Khalil Herbert.
Herbert is best known for his time with the Chicago Bears, while he has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets in NFL regular season action.
He spent this preseason with the San Francisco 49ers before being cut.
Khalil Herbert NFL Timeline
Herbert is now 28 years old, but he’s originally from the state of Florida, where he played at notable high school American Heritage-Plantation.
He then went to play college football at Kansas and Virginia Tech before the Bears made him a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Herbert played in all 17 games of his rookie season, running 103 times for 433 yards and two touchdowns while also catching 14 passes for 96 yards.
In 2022, Herbert got into 13 games but ran for a career-high 731 yards on 129 attempts (career-best 5.7 yards per carry). He found the end zone four times on the ground and also once as a receiver with nine catches for 57 yards.
Herbert had another quality season in 2023 with the Bears, running 132 times for 611 yards and two TDs while having a career-high 20 catches for 134 yards and another touchdowns.
In 2024, Herbert played his first six games with the Bears but had just eight carries for 16 yards (one TD) and two catches for four yards.
The Bears then traded him to the Bengals for a 2025 seventh-round pick that Chicago eventually used on RB Kyle Monangai.
With Cincy, Herbert played in eight games and ran 28 times for 114 yards while catching eight passes for 21 yards.
In free agency after that, Herbert signed with the New York Jets for 2025. He played in seven games and had 16 runs for 52 yards and one catch for four yards.
Herbert couldn’t make the 49ers this summer, which sent him back to free agency and gave the Falcons a shot to sign him.
Falcons RB Depth Chart
Herbert isn’t all that far off in Atlanta from getting an opportunity.
Bijan Robinson is the do-everything feature back, of course.
Behind Bijan is Brian Robinson Jr., more of a bruiser but certainly a reliable veteran. The Robinsons, not related, are the only two RBs that the Falcons have on the active roster.
Herbert joins the practice squad with his experience and is at most one injury away from being active on gamedays.
The Falcons also have Cash Jones on the practice squad. He’s an undrafted rookie from Georgia who actually had more catches than rushes while with the Bulldogs. He runs a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and won two national titles in college.
Atlanta might envision a future role for Jones, but if there becomes an RB need in the present, Herbert seems primed to step in.
Falcons Sign RB With Bears, Bengals, Jets NFL Experience