Niners Nation
One of the biggest narratives we’ve had with the 49ers has been usage. Either players don’t like how they are used, or they feel they should be used more. Yes, this usually has something to do with money, but it all revolves around usage.
49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. is not one of those players.
This video came out earlier this week, and we posted it on the feed, but given some of the drama we’ve seen in past seasons, it’s probably still relevant to have this for discussion through the weekend. I’ve transcribed Robinson’s answer below:
“I came from a program in college where you have to wait your turn. You don’t come in and start, even if you have the talent or ability; it’s rare that you come in and be a day-one starter. It’s taught me just to be patient, stay down, and continue working. When my time comes I have to be ready for that. I don’t think being in this situation is humbling to me. I’m pretty humble for the most part, it’s just another one of those situations where regardless of the role I’m playing, I still have to prepare like I’m the guy.”
The Washington Commanders traded Robinson to the 49ers in the 2025 offseason for a sixth-round pick. It was almost a certainty he’d be sitting behind incumbent (and arguably overused) starter Christian McCaffrey on the depth chart. Something that would be disorienting to anyone who saw action on their previous team. The question was how much of McCaffrey’s work he would eventually take—if any.
And it was hard to get consistency on carries. Robinson started the season with nine carries for 33 yards rushing in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, but wouldn’t see that many attempts again until Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons. While it was a losing effort and only eight carries, Robinson had a strong game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Has he shown enough he might get the ball more—in his head coach’s eyes?“
“Yeah, I would.” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said when asked if it was fair to say Robinson earned more carries. “I think four weeks in a row, he has had his best game. So, each week it keeps getting better.”
If he’s not taking carries from McCaffrey, he almost certainly has taken them from Isaac Guerendo. When the trade went down, we speculated that Robinson was serving as insurance for Guerendo. Guerendo has not had a single rushing attempt to his name through the 10 games he has played.
Robinson’s contract runs through 2025, and he will enter free agency. Like quarterback Mac Jones, he could be looking for an opportunity elsewhere where his skill set is better featured. On the other hand, could the 49ers work something out where he gets more carries and works behind McCaffrey? The latter is approaching 30 and getting a lot of tread.
It would be a pipe dream, but Robinson’s attitude could...
