Chiefs’ refusal to fix RB mess looks worse after Brian Robinson joins 49ers

A segment of Chiefs Kingdom is sad at the latest trade in the National Football League. That's because the deal that sent running back Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders to the San Francisco 49ers looks like an opportunity missed.

Kansas City has a roster concern in the backfield. Depending on the optimism level, the concern ranges from mild to disastrous (with those in the know leaning toward the latter). The Chiefs, in short, need a running back (or two), because the depth chart, as it stands, is a horrible way to move forward.

Back to Robinson. The Commanders have running backs aplenty and placed him on the trade block a few days ago. With less than a week until active roster cuts are due (and two weeks until the Chiefs and Chargers kick off the regular season), it made sense for the Chiefs to check in on Robinson's availability.

Chiefs Kingdom need to see some admission from Brett Veach that the backfield is broken.

As it turns out, the cost wasn't even all that great: a sixth-round choice in the 2026 NFL Draft. That's not ideal to only gain back one year of control of a player when draft choices allow for competitive roster balance with slotted rookie deals. However, when you're a Super Bowl contending franchise with a major roster need, a sixth-round pick is not something you worry about.

However, the Chiefs let the Niners make the deal, giving them security behind the injury-prone Christian McCaffrey. For the Chiefs, it removes a solid and obvious option from the table.

But for those sad about the lack of a deal for Robinson, it doesn't have to be such a despairing moment. Robinson was just the target du jour, the tradable asset of the day. There will be others. A decent running back will be placed on waivers. Another will be made available.

Veach didn't have to make a move for Robinson, but he does have to make a move. If, in retrospect, the Chiefs failed to grab Robinson for a day three draft choice and also failed to follow through on any addition, then the decision to pass on the Commanders RB is a major miss. But again, this isn't about Robinson. It's just that Veach needs to show some acknowledgement of the need.

The Chiefs' lackluster run game has plagued them for a few seasons now. Isiah Pacheco is a solid find as a seventh-round pick, and it's a solid story that he's led the team in rushing in two of his first three seasons. But the ceiling on his dynamism has always been there, and the "team-leading" label doesn't mean great things for him. It's more of a commentary on the state of the position around him.

After Veach missed on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs feel reticent to make another major move there, like someone refusing to get back into the dating game after the heartbreak of the previous relationship.

That's why making such minimal investments into a major concern—such as signing veteran Elijah Mitchell in free agency despite being irrelevant since 2021—is so disconcerting. Even the draft showed the same temerity, with the sole investment of a seventh-round choice in Brashard Smith out of SMU.

Pacheco is coming off of a major injury and is out the door in 2026 anyway. Kareem Hunt looked old a year ago. Mitchell has averaged 80 carries a year for the last three seasons and missed 2024 entirely. Smith was learning how to play running back for the first time in his career 12 months ago.

The Chiefs will be fine because they've been fine before, but a sustained record of success doesn't equate with a perfect roster. The Chiefs, like every team, have issues. Veach did some great work this offseason to address those concerns. But the lack of imagination at running back, and the fear of investing there, has led to the uninspired group that looks ready to enter the regular season.

It didn't have to be a move for Brian Robinson, but Chiefs Kingdom would love to see some admission that things are not okay.