The Commanders’ Loss Is The 49ers’ Gain: Brian Robinson Jr. Eyes San Francisco Switch

The San Francisco 49ers have one of the NFL’s best offensive weapons in Christian McCaffrey, but the depth behind him heading into the regular season is spotty at best.

Considering how important running back depth is in Kyle Shanahan’s system, adding another RB might be a good idea. Plus, finding a dependable complement to McCaffrey could be crucial, particularly when taking the All-Pro RB’s injury history into consideration. That’s where Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. comes in.

“The 49ers have a great lead back in Christian McCaffrey, but they could use depth behind the 29-year-old star,” USA Today’s Jacob Camenker wrote on August 17.

“Projected backup Isaac Guerendo and fifth-round rookie Jordan James are both dealing with injuries that could impact their early season availability. Robinson’s mix of size and power would complement McCaffrey – a more elusive runner – well. Commanders general manager Adam Peters also used to work in the 49ers’ front office, so perhaps that could help get a deal done.”

A Look Back at Robinson’s 3 Seasons in the NFL

Robinson’s NFL journey began under extraordinary circumstances. Drafted in the third round by Washington in 2022, his rookie season was nearly derailed before it started when he was the victim of a shooting during an attempted robbery just weeks before the regular season. Remarkably, he recovered in time to debut by midseason, a comeback that quickly became one of the league’s most inspiring storylines.

Despite missing the first month, Robinson still managed 797 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.

In 2023, he established himself as a solid dual-threat, amassing 1,101 yards from scrimmage (733 rushing, 368 receiving), while scoring nine touchdowns.

Robinson’s 2024 season was his most efficient as a runner: He finished with 187 carries for 799 yards and eight touchdowns (4.3 yards per carry) across 14 games, also adding another 159 receiving yards.

Entering 2025, he’s on the final year of his rookie deal, and he has a cap hit of $3.62 million.

49ers Trade Proposal Sends Brian Robinson Jr. to San Francisco

Here’s a trade proposal we put together we think might sway the Commanders to send Robinson to the Niners:

• 49ers receive: RB Brian Robinson Jr.
• Commanders receive: A 2026 fifth-round pick that escalates to a fourth if Robinson plays 45% of offensive snaps or scores 7+ touchdowns in 2025, a 2026 seventh-round pick

From a cap standpoint, Robinson’s rookie deal would be inexpensive for San Francisco, and Washington would recoup a fifth-round pick with the chance to become a fourth if he hits the aforementioned milestones.

A sturdy, decisive finisher like Robinson would let them lessen CMC’s between-the-tackles workload in certain games while also adding much needed depth to the RBs room.

The fit is also good schematically speaking. Shanahan’s offense is fond of vertical, one-cut runners who read leverage and turn it up at the second level. Robinson’s 2023 receiving spike shows he can stay on the field on passing downs, and he’d be a definite asset in red-zone packages — especially with George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk on the field.

With CMC drawing the bulk of the defense’s attention, Robinson would see lighter boxes and have the opportunity to finish games as the closer — a role that’s been a revolving door for the Niners after numerous injuries the past two seasons.

With the regular season almost upon us, it might behoove the 49ers to act sooner rather than later on this one.