Brian Robinson Jr. has been the Washington Commanders’ leading rusher every season since he joined the NFL team in the third round of the 2022 draft.
But the former Alabama ball-carrier will not get the opportunity to make it four seasons in a row: The Commanders have traded Robinson to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Neither team has announced the deal, which has been reported by ESPN, NFL Network and the Washington Post.
Washington’s desire to move Robinson as he entered the final season of his rookie contract became evident on Monday night, when he did not attend the Commanders’ preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals and coach Dan Quinn said after the contest: “It’s just a lot of moving parts. At this time of year, those things take place.”
The 49ers already have a No. 1 running back. Christian McCaffery led the NFL in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage in 2023. But he played in only four games last season.
Still, McCaffery has been one of the healthier running backs for San Francisco during training camp. The 49ers already have put Patrick Taylor Jr. on injured reserve, gone most of the preseason without Jordan James and have only recently had Isaac Guerendo return from a shoulder injury.
Washington turns to Chris Rodriguez and rookie Bill Croskey-Merritt, a former standout at Sidney Lanier in Montgomery and Alabama State, in its backfield, with Austin Ekeler available for third-down duty.
A prep standout at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Robinson joined the Commanders after running for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns and catching 35 passes for 296 yards for Alabama during the 2021 season.
Even though he was shot on the day after the Commanders’ final preseason game of his rookie campaign, Robinson still led Washington in rushing in the 2022 season.
Robinson was shot in the hip and knee when he was accosted by two armed teens seeking to steal his Dodge Challenger Hellcat in Washington, according to District of Columbia police, who reported Robinson wrested a gun away from one of the boys before being shot by the other.
After being shot, Robinson was taken to a hospital, where he had surgery before being released the next day. The injuries caused Robinson to miss the first four games of the 2022 season.
In three NFL seasons, Robinson has run for 2,329 yards and 15 touchdowns on 570 carries and caught 65 passes for 587 yards and five touchdowns in 41 regular-season games. In three playoff contests, he has 129 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries and four receptions for 22 yards.
San Francisco will kick off its 2025 regular-season schedule on Sept. 7 against the Seattle Seahawks.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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