The Washington Commanders aren’t putting all of their eggs in one basket at any position in 2024 — even vaunted rookie quarterback and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels comes with an insurance policy in the form of veteran Marcus Mariota, signed to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million.
That reality is why Pro Football Network’s Anthony DiBona wrote that Washington running back Brian Robinson Jr. might be in line for a regression in 2024 with the addition of Austin Ekeler via free agency.
“Brian Robinson Jr. took on a larger role in 2023, as his role in Washington’s passing game expanded,” DiBona wrote in a July 9 story on “regression candidates.” “But given the arrival of Austin Ekeler in free agency, it’s safe to assume that the veteran will be the team’s primary RB on passing downs. Despite the flashes that Robinson showed last season, he will likely take a step back in 2024.”
Unfortunately for Robinson, any sort of a regression might lead to the end of his time in Washington. He hasn’t exactly set the world on fire through his first two seasons.
The upside for Robinson? If he can establish himself as the alpha in the Commanders’ ground game, Robinson could end up with a lucrative payday.
Which Way Will Brian Robinson’s Career Go?
The Commanders selected Robinson in the third round (No. 98 overall) in the 2022 NFL draft after three seasons at Alabama, where he won two College Football Playoff national championships and rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns to go with 296 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in 2021.
Robinson’s NFL career almost ended before it began after he was shot twice in the leg during an armed robbery attempt in Washington, D.C., in August 2022. Somehow he missed only four games, returning to rush for 797 yards in 12 games. He was named Sports Illustrated’s Inspiration of the Year in 2022 and voted Washington’s Ed Block Courage Award winner.
In 2023, Robinson continued to up his game with 1,101 yards of total offense (733 rushing, 368 receiving) and 9 touchdowns — although the Commanders finished the season 4-13.
The Commanders haven’t had a running back make the Pro Bowl since Alfred Morris in 2014 and haven’t had a running back earn NFL All-Pro honors since Brian Mitchell in 1995.
Commanders Could Treat RBs as 1-2 Punch
Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury could be looking at the combination of Robinson and Ekeler as a 1-2 punch that could keep defenses on the back foot, even though both have similar skill sets.
“Despite the addition of Austin Ekeler, the arrow still seems to point north for Brian Robinson Jr. as he heads into his third year — he averaged 4.1 yards per carry and scored nine total touchdowns (five rushing, four receiving) last season,” The Athletic’s Larry Holder wrote in his breakdown of NFC running back groups. “There’s no doubt, though, that Ekeler will garner plenty of attention given his prolific production with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 and 2022.”
Were Robinson to create some separation, he could match Ekeler’s production in his best years. Over the first seven seasons of Ekeler’s career with the Los Angeles Chargers, he had over 1,000 yards of total offense five times, including over 1,500 yards of offense and at least 15 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022.
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Commanders RB ‘Likely’ to Regress in Crowded Backfield, Writer Says