The San Francisco 49ers were actively looking to upgrade their roster last year, making a couple of key moves right before and well into the season. Among those was the trade for Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr., who immediately slotted into that No. 2 role for the 49ers behind star Christian McCaffrey.
The move sent away a Day 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft back to the Commanders, and it was necessary after the 49ers traded Jordan Mason earlier in the offseason to the Minnesota Vikings, losing their top backup.
With Robinson a free agent and the draft coming up, let’s revisit the full trade.
Washington Commanders receive: 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 209 overall)
The 49ers made a win-now move with the trade for Robinson, who was on an expiring deal and was a player that the Commanders were actively looking to move. The running back ultimately ran for 400 yards and two touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry, averaging 23.5 yards per game.
San Francisco’s run game was a struggle last season, as the team really struggled to generate explosive plays. The team’s run-blocking took a hit with injuries mounting, and Christian McCaffrey ran for just 3.9 yards per carry.
Robinson’s impact was overall limited because of how much McCaffrey was on the field. The star back had over 400 touches on the year, with his receiving impact being extremely important as the 49ers struggled to run the ball.
That took away touches from Robinson, whose impact wasn’t really felt as much in San Francisco’s offense. The backup did have some nice games, notably against the New York Giants, where he had five carries for 53 yards. But Robinson never had double digit carries in a game and was a non-factor in the playoffs.
The Commanders stuck and made pick 209, using it on Michigan State center Matt Gubin.
The cost wasn’t high to acquire Robinson, and we’ll see how Washington’s draft pick fares, but the 49ers didn’t get much impact at a non-premier position for trading their sixth-round pick.
Overall, in what’s considered not as strong of a draft class, perhaps the impact isn’t as severe. But this move was more of a last-ditch effort for the 49ers, and Robinson won’t be back with the team in 2026, having signed with the Atlanta Falcons.