BIG PICTURE
Speaking of the Philadelphia running back, Barkley won this award in 2024, and it was well deserved. He received 35 first-place votes which accounted for 406 points. For context, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson finished second in voting with 183 points. This came after a record-breaking year for Barkley which featured him becoming just the ninth player in NFL history with over 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. Barkley led all running backs in yards, carries (345) and yards per game (125.3).
This is important information for Robinson’s argument because, in 2025, Robinson’s numbers were better in total. Barkley had 2,283 yards from scrimmage in 2024. Robinson had 2,298 total yards from scrimmage in 2025 — leading the league, just like Barkley did the year before. Robinson broke the Falcons’ single-season franchise record, averaging about 135 yards from scrimmage per game (10 more than Barkley the year prior). He had seven games accumulating more that 150 scrimmage yard. That game total led the league, too. Barkley, in 2024, had 10 such games. McCaffrey in 2025? Just three such games.
Speaking of McCaffrey, even by sheer numbers, Robinson outpaced his fellow running back finalist in total yards from scrimmage. The difference between the two lay in usage: Robinson had nearly 200 more rushing yards than McCaffrey, but McCaffrey led all backs in receptions. So, the way voters value sheer scrimmage yards versus usage and effectiveness in one or the other could tip the scales between Robinson and McCaffrey.
Oh, and one can’t forget the importance of those performances to the team at large. Even though Robinson is the only finalist who was not a part of a post-season bound team, one could argue he was even more significant to a Falcons’ final score than any other. Six of the seven performances that saw Robinson accumulate more than 150 yards from scrimmage, the Falcons won. When Robinson was rolling it made a key difference in a win and loss for the team, showing just how important Robinson is to an offense — which is the basis of this highly regarded award.