Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson apologized early Dec. 12 for an insensitive remark.
Following the Falcons’ 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Robinson was being interviewed during the Amazon Prime Video postgame show, where he let loose an insensitive and outdated name of a game he used to play when he was younger.
‘Smear the queer, that’s what we do,’ Robinson said. ‘Smear the queer.’
Analyst and former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick jumped in immediately with a semi-correction of Robinson, dubbing the game ‘kill the carrier,’ the more common name of the backyard game.
Robinson posted an apology on X in the hours after the game.
‘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 to those I offended seriously!,’ he posted.
The Falcons running back finished the game with 19 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown to pair with eight catches for 82 yards.
The Falcons climbed to 5-9 on the season, while Tampa Bay fell to 7-7, ceding the NFC South division lead to the Carolina Panthers.
What is ‘kill the carrier?’
‘Kill the carrier’ is a schoolyard game played where one person holds a ball – typically a football – while the others attempt to tackle, strip or otherwise remove it from the carrier. It’s played without teams, with an every-man-for-himself focus.