Running back Brian Robinson joins 49ers seeking to form the ‘best duo in the league’ with McCaffrey
Running back Brian Robinson joins 49ers seeking to form the ‘best duo in the league’ with McCaffrey
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — After three mostly productive seasons in Washington, Brian Robinson isn’t quite sure why things didn’t work out with the Commanders.
Figuring that out now isn’t very important as Robinson tries to get up to speed quickly with the San Francisco 49ers following a trade late last week.
“It was like the first day of school,” Robinson said after his first practice with the 49ers on Monday. “I got lost in the hallway for a second, but I found my way to class.”
The 49ers traded a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Commanders for Robinson in a deal that got finalized on Sunday after he passed a physical, giving the team the proven backup they had been lacking behind Christian McCaffrey.
Robinson is one of 10 backs in the league with at least 175 carries in each of the past three seasons and is ready to handle whatever load coach Kyle Shanahan throws his way as McCaffrey’s backup.
“I’m a competitor. I come here to compete. I’m ready to do my thing, just as well as Christian is ready to do his,” Robinson said. “My job right now is just to complement him the best way I can, and we’re going to be the best duo in the league.”
Robinson was picked in the third round in 2022 and was the Commanders’ leading rusher among running backs last season with 799 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns. He has 2,329 yards rushing and 15 TDs the past three seasons.
General manager Adam Peters, who came from San Francisco, drafted Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round this year, and the rookie known as “Bill” was expected to share carries with Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez Jr. after Robinson appeared to fall out of favor with the coaching staff.
“I really couldn’t tell you that right now,” Robinson said about why things didn’t work out in Washington. “The last week or two has been a bit unusual, but nothing changes for me. I expect the same goals I set for myself three, four months ago.”
McCaffrey typically handles most of the load for the 49ers when healthy. He led the NFL with 339 scrimmage touches and 2,023 yards when he won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. McCaffrey played at least 75% of the offensive snaps 15 times that season, including the playoffs.
But the 29-year-old McCaffrey played only four games last season because of injuries to both his Achilles tendon and his knee. He also missed significant time because of injuries in 2020 and 2021 with Carolina.
That led the Niners to look for a more dependable backup than second-year back Isaac Guerendo. Robinson believes his skill set works well in San Francisco’s zone-heavy running scheme that the 49ers have utilized so successfully under Shanahan.
“I’m totally aware of how he does his things here,” Robinson said. “I’m ready for it. I’ve been running the ball my whole life. So I’m ready to just plug and play. I came here ready to play, and I want him to be able to use me like that. So, whatever run scheme it is, he can throw me in, and I’m already ready to execute the plays.”
Injury news
The 49ers got a few key players back from injuries as the team starts gearing for the start of the regular season, but receiver Jauan Jennings remains out with a calf injury.
Jennings is also seeking a new contract and hasn’t practiced since July 27. Coach Kyle Shanahan has said he expects Jennings to be ready for the opener but added that calf injuries are “tricky.”
Starting left guard Ben Bartch was also back from an elbow injury and rookie defensive tackle CJ West returned from a knee injury. Quarterback Mac Jones, safety Richie Grant and cornerback Fabian Moreau also returned to practice.
Among the other players out with injuries were defensive tackle Kalia Davis, who had a sleave on his right leg, left guard Dominick Puni (knee) and rookie slot cornerback Upton Stout (calf).
Roster cutdown
The 49ers got a head start on the process of getting down to the 53-man roster limit by Tuesday’s deadline.
Backup quarterbacks Carter Bradley and Tanner Mordecai were waived with injury designations after getting banged up in the exhibition finale against the Chargers on Saturday night.
San Francisco also waived defensive linemen Jaylon Allen and Shakel Brown, released running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and placed offensive lineman Isaiah Prince on injured reserve.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Pro Football Writer
