NFL Trade Rumors
Commanders RB Brian Robinson has been a steady producer in Washington for the past three seasons. The burly former Alabama back rebounded from being shot in a carjacking attempt his rookie year to play 12 games and still lead the team in rushing. He’s gone on to be Washington’s starter and leading rusher each of the past two seasons, topping 700 yards on the ground all three years.
Yet Robinson has also never exceeded 800 yards rushing in a season. While he’s a rock-solid, all-around player, he’s not the most dynamic or explosive playmaker, which is likely among the reasons his name suddenly cropped up in trade rumors this weekend. Washington is holding him out of Monday’s preseason contest, which is another omen that he’s on his way out. With roster cuts a week away, Robinson is suddenly one of the most high-profile players available.
As Robinson entered the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, the Commanders kept an eye out for the future. They think they may have found it, as seventh-round RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been one of the biggest stars of training camp in Washington. Reports that the Commanders have been shopping Robinson in trade talks with other teams say as much about Croskey-Merritt as they do Robinson.
Robinson is a steady player, with great size at 6-1 and nearly 230 pounds, plus more receiving ability than you might expect for a back that big. In 2023, Robinson caught 36 passes for 368 yards and four touchdowns, finishing the year with over 1,100 yards from scrimmage. He’s scored 17 touchdowns as Washington’s lead back over the past two seasons.
However, the explosiveness Croskey-Merritt has flashed in training camp and the preseason is a tool Robinson just doesn’t seem to have in his bag. For a big back, he’s also been banged up a fair amount. It’s hard to fault him for getting shot in his rookie year, but after notching 205 carries that season, Robinson has not been able to cross that mark in the last two years. A variety of nicks and scrapes have held him back and caused him to miss time each season.
Commanders beat reporter Ben Standig floated a bold prediction on his podcast last week that Robinson was not going to be on the roster in Week 1. He caveated that he had no sources and it was just a gut feeling (erego not for aggregation) but time has shown him not to be off-base. Standing cited the rise of Croskey-Merritt as a potential starter and Washington’s comfort with depth players like Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols as reasons why they might be willing to move on from Robinson, either via a trade or cut.
Yes, a cut. It sounds wild at first for a player who’s been as solid as Robinson, but there is a real chance Washington ends up releasing their former starter in the coming days. And the reason for that...
