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Commanders Rumors Focus On Trade of Starting Running Back

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 9:02 AM ET

The Washington Commanders had one of the best rushing attacks in football last season with Jayden Daniels being a main reason why.

But offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury also had Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler to help share the load.

With Ekeler, a veteran backup, and Robinson Jr., the starter, the Commanders developed a devastating rushing attack that most defenses struggled to stop.

But the NFL is a fluid-moving business, and what is good one year isn't the next, and in Robinson Jr.'s case, he will be playing on the final year of his rookie deal in 2025.

That has led some to suggest that the Commanders might look to offload him and acquire a younger back, with some mock drafts having Washington take Omarion Hampton.

For Heavy.com's Tony Adame, Robinson Jr. should be on the Cleveland Browns' radar.

“One position the Browns are particularly lacking at right now is running back,” Adame said. “Cleveland’s bell cow in recent years, Nick Chubb, is a free agent without a team and hasn’t been the same since a catastrophic knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 regular season. If anyone is primed to take a flyer on a semi-reliable running back right now via trade, it would be the Browns. With that in mind, the Washington Commanders should reach out to gauge their interest in acquiring running back Brian Robinson Jr.”

In Adame's trade, the Commanders "ideally" get a sixth-round pick (179), and that would take their total number of selections to six, a far cry from the 10 a year ago.

Robinson Jr. would get a fresh start, where he would likely be the starter and see heavy usage, but in Washington, he would be part of a ground attack with Daniels and Ekeler.

If the Commanders did part ways with Robinson Jr., then Dan Quinn might draft a running back, or promote Chris Rodriguez or Jeremy McNichols, both of whom performed well last season.

Robinson Jr. is in a contract year, and with the potential to lose him for nothing in 12 months' time, the Commanders get a sixth-round pick for him this year.

The former third-round pick has been servicable, but the NFL is a business, and moving on from him is purely a business decision with his looming contract extension coming down the pipeline.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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