Atlanta Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson issued an apology on social media early Friday following his postgame “Thursday Night Football” interview.
Robinson appeared on Amazon Prime Video’s postgame coverage after the Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-28 on Thursday night.
While answering a question from Richard Sherman, Robinson referenced a football-related game he played as a child and used a name for it that included a homophobic slur.
Here’s what to know about Robinson’s interview and his subsequent apology.
MORE: Updated NFC South standings following 'TNF'
What did Bijan Robinson say?
Robinson, who rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's win, made an appearance alongside quarterback Kirk Cousins on Amazon's postgame coverage at Raymond James Stadium.
Sherman asked Robinson about his ability to make defenders miss, adding that he could tell Robinson "grew up in the backyard."
Robinson responded by referring to a backyard football game he used to play, using the name "smear the queer" to describe it. Analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick quickly offered another common name for the game, "kill the carrier."
Both were referring to a game that involves every participant tackling the ball carrier, playground football style. The name Robinson used for the game has largely been phased out for "kill the carrier" or others to avoid the homophobic slur.
NFL Atlanta Falcons' Bijan Robinson refers to the backyard game of "Smear the queer"... The TNF crew tries to deflect it to "kill the carrier" pic.twitter.com/u2S7MRkWPL
— Brian Kennedy (@Brian_Kennedy) December 12, 2025
Bijan Robinson apology
Shortly after his postgame "TNF" appearance, Robinson apologized on social media for using the name of the playground game with a slur.
"Hey everyone I want to apologize for the insensitive comment I made in the broadcast, it was a football game we used to play as a kid but that’s not an excuse," Robinson wrote. "I recognize the mistake and make sure to do better in the future. It was not reflective of my beliefs and I am so sorry to those I offended seriously!"
Hey everyone I want to apologize for the insensitive comment I made in the broadcast, it was a football game we used to play as a kid but that’s not an excuse. I recognize the mistake and make sure to do better in the future. It was not reflective of my beliefs and I am so sorry…
— Bijan Robinson (@Bijan5Robinson) December 12, 2025
Will Bijan Robinson be punished?
It is unknown whether Robinson would face any discipline from the NFL, or the Falcons, for his comments on Amazon's postgame coverage. However, given his quick apology and use of the word to simply refer to a backyard football game, it's unlikely he will face any punishment from his team or the league.