On August 24, the Washington Commanders announced the trade that sent Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers sent a sixth-round pick to the Commanders as part of the deal to give the 26-year-old a fresh start in the Bay Area.
Robinson, a third-round pick by the Commanders in 2022, has appeared in 41 games with 37 starts during his career in Washington. He has rushed 570 times for 2,329 yards, scoring 15 touchdowns, and added 587 receiving yards on 65 catches with five more scores.
As Week 1 is about to get underway for San Francisco, Robinson will play with a chip on his shoulder this season. Moreover, it sounded as though he was taking a shot at the Commanders.
“Always going to be a chip that’s on your shoulder because I feel like somebody’s turning back on you,” Robinson said while speaking to the media on September 5 (h/t 95.7 The Game).
“We want to do everything and show them why that wasn’t the best decision. I know that. It’s just up to me to just play with that chip on my shoulder and continue to sell people why you should ever count me out.”
Kyle Shanahan Excited for 49ers’ Newest Running Back
Recently, the 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan, expressed his excitement about incorporating Robinson into the offense for the 2025 NFL season. He noted that Robinson’s versatility makes him a natural fit for San Francisco’s game plan.
“I always love running backs that can run like a true starting running back,” Shanahan told Derek Papa on KNBR’s “Dirty Work” on August 28. “Which is a guy you can win the game with, just handing the ball off to. They can never do it on their own, but if you have the blockers out there, you have the right scheme, and you have a guy that can run hard and hit the right holes, not hesitate, always get more than what’s blocked for because of his physicality, running through arm tackles. Also good in the pass game, too.
“And just getting the opportunity to get a guy like him, who I think is a very good starting running back in this league. And to be able to pair him with Christian [McCaffrey], I think, goes a long way.”
Brian Robinson Jr. Fits the 49ers’ system
The sophisticated zone-blocking scheme Shanahan employs creates steady openings for his running backs. It’s a bruising, old-school approach that prioritizes the run, but the heavy reliance can quickly wear down starters like Christian McCaffrey.
“So, a lot of guys have helped him out [in the past],“ Shanahan added. “But by adding a guy like Brian, it helps so much more because when we do get Christian out of there, because he’s tired … you’re not so upset with these plays because you know you’ve got a guy coming in there who shouldn’t miss a beat.”
Seeing how Robinson performs this season for San Francisco will be interesting. The running back will become a free agent after the 2025 campaign, so he will be eyeing a major payday with the 49ers or elsewhere.
Nonetheless, he’s in a perfect situation to get the most production with Shanahan leaning on his running backs to help take the pressure off of quarterback Brock Purdy.
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