Adam Peters calls up an old friend to help him trade Brian Robinson Jr from the Commanders to an NFC playoff contender
Brian Robinson Jr’s time as a Commander has come to an end.
The breakup between the Washington Commanders and former third-round pick Brian Robinson Jr. came out of nowhere and escalated quickly.
Soon after reports of the team moving on and looking for trade partners for Robinson Jr, the Commanders held him out of the second preseason game and practices. The team has found a trade partner and has traded Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers.
Brian Robinson Jr’s time in Washington is over
General manager Adam Peter keeps his connection with the 49ers strong after the trade for Deebo Samuel this offseason, and now Robinson Jr. is headed out West. The 49ers are sending the Commanders a 2026 sixth-round pick, according to reports, and have gained help for Christian McCaffrey. The Commanders will also be taking on $1.25 million of the remaining $3.4 million owed to Robinson Jr in 2025.
The Commanders now have six picks in the 2026 NFL draft. They have a 1st, a 3rd, a 5th, two 6ths, and a 7th round pick to continue to build the roster.
Robinson Jr. was a fan favorite when he was drafted in the third round by the former regime, and he fought through adversity to become a productive running back on offense. Over his three seasons with the Commanders and different coaching staffs, Robinson Jr. ran the ball 570 times for 2,329 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught 65 passes for 587 yards and five additional touchdowns.
We don’t know exactly what went wrong in the relationship between Robinson Jr. and the Commanders, but the writing was on the wall that the team wanted to go a different direction and needed a boost in the running game.
Robinson Jr. did have three separate leg injuries last season, and they needed someone they could rely on when it came down to it.
What’s next?
The move turns the page of a new era for the running back room. We’ve already seen a preview of what a possible duo can look like for the Commanders, and they ran the ball with ease against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Seventh-round rookie Bill Croskey-Merritt had his breakout game against the Bengals after taking his second carry 27 yards to the house for a touchdown with a majority of starters on the field. Chris Rodriguez also took his first run 40 yards up the middle and finished with 62 yards on six carries.
We will see how the room sorts out in the coming weeks, but my prediction is that Chris Rodriguez and Bill Croskey-Merritt split carries and become a running back duo that complements each other. Austin Ekeler will still be used in the receiving game as well, if I know offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders’ running game will be under a microscope all season long after this decision.
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