Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has issued an apology for making an "insensitive comment" during a postgame interview with Prime Video.
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Analyst Richard Sherman described Robinson's playmaking ability after the 29-28 win saying that "This boy grew up in the backyard." Robinson laughed and responded by saying, "Smear the queer. That's what we do. Smear the queer." He then took to social media on Friday morning to apologize for his comment.
"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," he wrote on X.
"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!"
Bijan Robinson really just said “smear the queer” on national TV. pic.twitter.com/EucPuXmjKA
— PPRFantasyTips (@PPRFantasyTips) December 12, 2025
This comment referenced the name of a game that is no longer used in daily life. This game, primarily played by those who grew up in the 1990s, featured one person with a football. They then had to avoid a group of people trying to make the tackle.
Once tackled, the "runner" had to give up the football to another player. The game would then resume as the tacklers chased another person. This game still exists, but people do not use the same name in 2025.
Outdated terms aside, Robinson showed his history playing backyard football on Thursday night. He played a key role in the Falcons' upset win over the rival Buccaneers while rushing for 93 yards and a touchdown. He added another 82 yards as a receiver while helping the offense keep drives alive.
Robinson has now rushed for 1,174 yards and six touchdowns. He can match his career-best mark from last season (1,456 yards) by rushing for a total of 282 yards in the three games left this season. He is just unlikely to match his 14 rushing touchdowns from last season.
