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Report: Washington Commanders trading Brian Robinson to San Francisco 49ers

Danby: Daniel Hager08/22/25DanielHagerOn3
Report-Washington-Commanders-trading-Brian-Robinson-to-San-Francisco-49ers
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dealing with an abundance of running back injuries heading into the 2025 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers have traded for Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Through three NFL seasons, Robinson boasts 2,319 career rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. He will back up former NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey on the 49ers depth chart.

Rumors of Robinson Jr.’s departure from Washington have been swirling for a while, as he had slipped down the depth chart following the addition of Austin Ekeler last season and the breakout camp performance from rookie back Bill Croskey-Merritt this offseason.

His departure was all but confirmed on Wednesday, when head coach Dan Quinn reportedly excused him from practice without giving a reason. He did not play in Washington’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night and is heading into the final season of his rookie contract.

Robinson Jr. was a four-star recruit coming out of Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa, AL) in the Class of 2017, where he was tabbed the No. 137-ranked player in the country. He committed to his hometown school, Alabama, where he’d play from 2017-2021. As a member of the Tide, he rushed for 2,704 yards in 55 career games with 29 touchdowns.

He was a pivotal part of Alabama‘s 2021 National Championship runner-up team, as he rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns before declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Commanders selected Robinson Jr. with the No. 98 pick in the Third Round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but his career would get off to a rocky start. Almost three months after he signed his rookie contract, Robinson Jr. was shot in the knee and the glute during an armed robbery in Washington D.C. on Aug. 28, 2022.

He sat out the first four games of the 2022 regular season with the injury, but his made his NFL debut on Oct. 9 against the Tennessee Titans. Since then, he has become a regular in the Commander backfield but will now be continuing his NFL journey elsewhere.