Why did NFL fine Arthur Smith $25,000? Falcons HC’s Bijan Robinson decision proves costly

Bijan Robinson had a peculiar stat line in Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season. After carrying the ball 13 times against the Washington Commanders the previous week, he had one carry for three yards versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had no rushing attempts or passing targets in the first half.

The former Texas standout reportedly felt ill, and the Falcons failed to include it on their injury report. After looking at this incident, the NFL decided to levy a $75,000 fine on the Atlanta Falcons and a $25,000 penalty on head coach Arthur Smith for failing to report the same.

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Bijan Robinson’s unclear status led to Arthur Smith’s fine

NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport tweeted about the penalties on Arthur Smith and the Falcons. He quoted his initial tweet and posted:

“This is the situation surrounding Bijan Robinson and his lack of snaps during this game.”

The league has specified rules regarding game status reports under its Personnel Injury Report Policy. According to the guidelines, teams must accurately describe a player’s anticipated availability for their upcoming game.

NFL teams like the Atlanta Falcons must specify the injured player’s status by 4 p.m. Eastern Time two days before the game. Therefore, teams must divulge the player’s availability by Friday if they are playing a Sunday game and on Saturday if they will play on Monday.

Meanwhile, teams participating in Thursday Night Football can file status reports until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. Teams can categorize players as Out or won’t play, Doubtful or unlikely to play, and Questionable or uncertain to play.

CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo and Jordan Dajani wrote that Bijan Robinson started to feel weird due to the headaches he was experiencing the night before the game. He took medicine, hoping to feel better, but to no avail.

While the condition causing pain to Robinson was uncertain, the Falcons did not report his status because they were sure he would play against Tampa Bay. But his limited usage caught the league’s eye, leading to fines, as Rapoport tweeted.

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Bijan Robinson played well once he felt better

Arthur Smith called Robinson’s one carry against Tampa Bay “situational football.” But the rookie running back bounced back with 11 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown the following week against the Tennessee Titans.

He also tallied team highs of 95 yards in Week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals and 91 yards in Week 12 versus the New Orleans Saints. Bijan Robinson has 176 carries for 801 rushing yards, 323 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns (four rushing) through Week 15.

Robinson and the Falcons are still in contention for the NFC South division title against the Buccaneers and the Saints. They will face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16.