Rookie Sensation Croskey-Merritt Puts Robinson’s Role in Jeopardy

With trade speculation swirling, Brian Robinson Jr. didn’t suit up in the Washington Commanders’ preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.

Dan Quinn confirmed that he and general manager Adam Peters sat down with Robinson on Sunday to tell him he wouldn’t be playing, per The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala.

“It’s just a lot of moving parts,” Quinn said. “This time of year, those things take place and … it’s my responsibility to let the team know whenever I can so they’re not hearing any information from anywhere else.”

Robinson, 26, has played a prominent role in the Commanders backfield for the last three seasons. But with the franchise’s comfortability in the rushing attack, — spearheaded by a nice balance of young talent and veteran leadership — Robinson’s presence suddenly feels like more of a luxury than a need for the 2025-26 season.

Preseason RBs Making a Strong Case

The Commanders dangled Robinson in trade discussions last year, and now it appears they’re serious about a split. The main reason? Washington loves what it has in rookie Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt and third-year ball carrier Chris Rodriguez.

Croskey-Merritt has been making tremendous strides throughout Commanders training camp, and he flashed again on Monday night with a 27-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Cincinnati. The seventh-round pick hit the lane hard, made one cut, and was gone.

He showed a strong burst of speed from the Jayden Daniels handoff, flying through the line in a way that separates the Jonathan Taylor-like runners from the short-yardage maestros in the NFL.

There’s no reason why he can’t become the Commanders’ RB1 before their Week 1 matchup with the New York Giants on September 7.

Then there’s Rodriguez, who kicked off his big night with a 40-yard rumble up the gut in the first quarter.

He finished with a team-high 62 rushing yards on just six attempts, proving that his downhill running from the previous two campaigns hasn’t declined — it’s still improving.

Robinson’s Commanders Chapter Could Be Closing

The 2022 third-round pick still carries one of the most memorable stories in recent NFL history after surviving a gunshot wound before his rookie campaign. He fought back to lead the Commanders in rushing for three consecutive seasons, even while battling injuries and inconsistency around him.

But the numbers matter. Robinson is entering the final year of his rookie contract with a $3.4 million non-guaranteed salary, and a $3.6 million cap hit for 2025.

While he’s played a massive part in the Commanders’ successful rushing attack, the younger, more cost-friendly options in Croskey-Merritt and Rodriguez are beginning to make Robinson look expendable.

Whether it’s a trade or a straight release before the 53-man rosters are finalized, it’s possible that the clock is ticking on his presence in D.C.

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