It took Brian Robinson Jr. five years to reach the top of the depth chart in Tuscaloosa. Then, even after he was shot in the leg heading into his first season in the NFL, the 2022 third-round pick became an instant contributor for the Washington Commanders.
Robinson has cracked 700 yards rushing in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, but now, heading into the final year of his rookie contract, he’s on the move, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Friday that he has been traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth-round pick.
Trade: Commanders are trading RB Brian Robinson to the 49ers in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/bqYjKoxgl5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 22, 2025
Brian Robinson Jr. traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round pick
Despite helping to lead the Commanders, along with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, to the NFC Championship Game last season, with 799 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, Robinson quickly fell out of favor in Washington this summer. Robinson was expected to be unseated by 2025 seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Croskey-Merritt was a zero-star recruit out of Montgomery, Alabama in the 2019 high school class before playing four seasons at Alabama State. Then, the 5-foot-10 running back transferred to New Mexico, where he put up a 1,000-yard, 18-touchdown season. Croskey-Merritt’s final collegiate season at Arizona was cut short after just one game because of eligibility issues.
Robinson may not have been cut candidate for the Commanders, but the rumors had began to circulate that second-year general manager Adam Peters would be willing to move on from him. Peters leads a very analytic-heavy front office which won't be kind to paying running backs a second contract after their rookie deal. That analytic-heavy style currently has the franchise embroiled in a contract dispute with its top wide receiver, Terry McLaurin over concerns about his age.
Now in San Francisco, Robinson will likely be used to spell Christian McCaffrey, the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, who battled injuries last year and played just four games. Robinson should get plenty of opportunities to carry the ball in an offense orchestrated by one of the sport's best offensive play callers, Kyle Shanahan, and that could help him as he heads into free agency next offseason.
While Robinson is heading into his age 26 season, there is quite of a bit of tread run off his tires, which may have also led to Washington's willingness to move him. Robinson began his career at Alabama in 2017, winning the first of two national championships across his five years with the Tide. He finished his college career with 545 carries for 2,704 yards, and 29 touchdowns, and is 11th on the program's all-time rushing yards list.