Bijan Robinson, Joey Porter, Jr. share a rookie moment after Steelers vs. Falcons

There’s something about being a rookie in the National Football League that helps to bond players, even if they’re on opposing teams. We saw a great example of that on Thursday Night Football, after the Pittsburgh Steelers whipped the Atlanta Falcons 24-0 in their preseason matchup. Former Texas Longhorn Bijan Robinson and former Penn State star Joey Porter, Jr shared a brief moment together on the field.

Check it out below.

Rooks 🤝 pic.twitter.com/OAusbEd75g

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 25, 2023

It should be exciting to see how both rookies perform in the coming years in the National Football League. Porter, Jr. is of course, the son of Pittsburgh Steelers’ star Joey Porter, Sr. He recently snatched his first NFL interception. Robinson did not play on Thursday night, but he has dazzled early. He’s one of the favorites for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2023.

Another impressive moment for Bijan Robinson

Those familiar with Robinson’s game won’t be surprised by Robinson’s electric start in the league. Earlier this month, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith discussed his initial impressions of the talented running back.

“Pretty damn pleased with Bijan so far,” Smith said. “The way we use him, I think, is different than most, just philosophically with guys all over.”

Atlanta’s depth chart didn’t reflect Smith’s high praise. When the Falcons released their unofficial depth chart earlier this month, Robinson was listed as RB3 behind Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier.

Robinson isn’t the first Atlanta rookie to be listed surprisingly low on the team’s depth chart. First-round picks Kyle Pitts and Drake London faced similar obstacles early in their time with the organization. Robinson seemingly isn’t concerned with the trivial placement. Instead, he simply wants to help his team win.

“For me, I’m a player that loves to give an opportunity to my offense, whether it’s me lining up out wide, lining up in the slot, or trying to give the offense another opportunity to maximize ourselves,” Robinson said. “I think me just learning so many things, especially now, I think it can help you as a running back, but it can help you as an all-around player, not being one-dimensional but being able to do so many things and create more opportunities for yourself.”

Falcons general manager Fontenot likes what he’s seen from the highly-touted RB.

“He’s a true professional already, just the way he handles himself,” Fontenot said, via the team’s website. “We put a lot on these rookies’ plates — a lot on all these players’ plates. But the rookies, it’s a transition. … Bijan is doing a lot of different things for us. It’s taxing, but he’s handled everything so well and he is just even and consistent. He always has that $1 million smile on his face. We appreciate Bijan, and maturity is a good word to describe him.”

On3’s Grant Grubbs also contributed to this article.