The Atlanta Falcons rely on Bijan Robinson to carry a heavy workload in their backfield.
But this season they added a quality veteran as a backup running back, Brian Robinson Jr. — a bruising rusher with lots of NFL experience.
It has created a Robinson-Robinson combo in the backfield that reached its peak when they combined for five rushing touchdowns against the Saints on Monday Night Football earlier this season.
The pair won’t get to reprise that pursuit on Sunday in Week 7, though.
When the Falcons take on the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, Brian Robinson Jr. won’t be available.
Why Isn’t Brian Robinson Jr. Playing Today?
Brian Robinson Jr. is out against the 49ers due to injury.
He has a hamstring problem that is keeping him out.
A hamstring injury can often keep a running back out for multiple weeks in a row, so it’ll be worth monitoring it going forward for Atlanta.
Who is the Falcons’ Backup RB?
The Falcons will have Khalil Herbert as their RB2 on Sunday.
Assuming Herbert gets onto the field, it will be his Falcons debut.
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.
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 earlier this season.
Why Falcons Have RB Khalil Herbert Today, Not Brian Robinson Jr.