Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson issued an apology after using a homophobic phrase during a postgame interview following Thursday’s 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Robinson, who totaled 175 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown in the game, posted his apology on X and Instagram on Friday. During the Amazon Prime broadcast, when analyst Richard Sherman compared Robinson’s playing style to backyard football, Robinson said, “Smear the queer. That’s what we do.” Analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick suggested “kill the carrier” as an alternative phrase.
“Hey, everyone, I want to apologize for the insensitive comment I made in the broadcast,” Robinson wrote. “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 to those I offended seriously!”
Robinson leads the NFL with 1,858 yards from scrimmage, including 1,174 rushing yards, and has scored eight total touchdowns through 14 starts this season. The Falcons (5-9) are scheduled to play the Arizona Cardinals (3-10) in Week 16.