Violated NFL Injury Report Policy – Week 16
Sep 17, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith reacts on the sideline against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons and head coach Arthur Smith have finally received their penalty for violating the NFL injury report policy in Week 7. Per the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the league and Roger Goodell have fined the Falcons $75,000 and Arthur Smith $25,000 for failure to disclose a sickness that limited running back Bijan Robinson for a contest in late October, Alec Musa reports for Gridiron Heroics.
This is related to Bijan Robinson's limited role in Week 7. Smith said Robinson wasn't feeling well, but he wasn't on the injury report. The league looked into the matter and now has taken action. https://t.co/u8dkxNe5FT
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 22, 2023
Atlanta Falcons: Handed Heavy Fine for Limiting Star Rookie Bijan Robinson in Week 7
The Atlanta Falcons, alongside head coach Arthur Smith, will now need to pay a monetary penalty for their inability to disclose an illness for running back Bijan Robinson in Week 7. Robinson, the eighth overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, logged just one carry for three yards in the eventual 16-13 win. Robinson entered the game with double-digit carries in his first six NFL contests. Instead, the Falcons leaned on the duo of Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson to run the football. Allgeier logged 21 rush attempts for 59 yards, while Patterson took ten carries for 56 yards.
In a postgame presser, Smith said Robinson wasn’t feeling well, limiting him to a reserve role. However, the Falcons and Smith never disclosed the information before kickoff.
Arthur Smith and Atlanta Falcons: Subpar 2023 Season
The Atlanta Falcons have lost back-to-back games and sit near the bottom of the NFC South standings. They have yet to receive much from second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, with the signal-caller throwing ten touchdowns to ten picks this season. Arthur Smith and the Falcons announced earlier this week that backup Taylor Heinicke will start. The Old Dominion product has tossed 37 touchdowns to 25 picks in six NFL seasons.
