The Washington Commanders got their wish and traded Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth-round pick on Friday. It was a move that seemed like it was coming sooner rather than later. The 49ers get another weapon in the backfield for Brock Purdy and some relief for Christian McCaffrey. Last season was filled with injuries for McCaffrey as he played in just four games with 202 rushing yards and no touchdowns.
The 49ers will have to manage McCaffrey’s workload this upcoming season. That’s probably why they wanted to land Robinson. They also know that after losing Jordan Mason this offseason, getting a player like Robinson can add some production to the running back room. Robinson had 799 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last year. He’s eclipsed 700 rushing yards in each of his first three seasons.
What he’ll add to the 49ers just might be enough to make them competitive in 2025. Let’s predict what McCaffrey’s workload and statline will look like in 2025 with Robinson in the fold.
Christian McCaffrey’s stats, workload take a dip, but the 49ers still succeed
The only thing better than one solid weapon out of the backfield is two. And McCaffrey probably won’t be a 2,000-plus, all-purpose yard running back again in his career. The good thing with that is in 2023, the 49ers needed him to be that. This year, they don’t need him to do more than he’s capable of.
I expect McCaffrey’s workload to drop off with him splitting snaps with Robinson. I think the 49ers are going to lean on Robinson to carry the offense out of the backfield, while knowing McCaffrey can still be an explosive player. I think Robinson ends up with around 500-600 rushing yards this year, with McCaffrey closer to 1,000.
I could envision McCaffrey and Robinson being big pieces in the pass offense too. I could see McCaffrey getting roughly 400 receiving yards and five touchdowns this year too. That’s probably where he’ll get the most of his snaps on third down. It’s obviously a critical down, but it will be the most important down for this offense.
Why Brian Robinson landing with the San Francisco 49ers will help this offense turn things around in 2025
Robinson doesn’t just add relief in the backfield, but he’s another weapon for Purdy. Purdy has been heavily criticized for being a player that checks down a lot and doesn’t really look downfield. With Robinson, he can lean on creating plays with short pass plays.
Of course, he’ll still have Greg Kittle at tight end as a deep ball threat and Jauan Jennings taking on a bigger role as a receiver. But getting another running back could be key, especially if McCaffrey has injury issues again in 2025.
Adding Robinson into the fold will give this offense a player similar to what Deebo Samuel was at a fraction of the cost. Robinson may not be a true receiver, but he can impact the game out of the backfield in the passing game. That’s invaluable in a Kyle Shanahan offense.