Falcons Star Apologizes After 'Insensitive' TV Remark

Bijan Robinson's big night on the field ended with an apology off of it. After the Atlanta Falcons' 29–28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, the running back joined teammates Kirk Cousins and Kyle Pitts on Amazon's TNF Nightcap show. Analyst Richard Sherman praised a particular play in which Robinson broke multiple tackles, joking that the running back "grew up in the backyard," reports NBC News.

Robinson, laughing, replied by calling out the name of a childhood tackle game: "Smear the queer, that's what we do." Analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick immediately stepped in, using an alternative name for the schoolyard game, "kill the carrier," in which everyone tries to bring down the ball carrier, notes USA Today.

Later that night, Robinson addressed the remark on social media:

• "Hey everyone I want to apologize for the insensitive comment I made in the broadcast," he wrote, adding that "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!"