Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr. have plenty in common as key cogs to the 49ers backfield — and it begins with being traded to San Francisco.
Three seasons ago, McCaffrey was in the same shoes Robinson Jr. currently finds himself in as he adjusts to learning a new system.
Robinson Jr. told reporters Friday another thing he and McCaffrey have in common is both had a chip on their shoulder upon arriving in San Francisco after being traded.
“Of course, it’s always going to be a chip that’s on your shoulder because you feel like somebody turned their back on you and you want to do everything to show them why it wasn’t the best decision,” Robinson said ahead of the 49ers’ matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. “I know that and it’s just up to me to continue to just play with that chip on my shoulder and continue to show people why you should never count me out.”
The 26-year-old running back had over 700 yards rushing in both the 2023 and 2024 NFL seasons while handling lead back roles with the Washington Commanders and while he’s in a new role with San Francisco, he’ll likely still see plenty of reps with the offensive unit.
And with news like McCaffrey’s limited Thursday participation, the 49ers having a player like Robinson Jr. as their backup is definitely beneficial to a team hoping for a bounce-back 2025 season.
Hopefully Robinson Jr. remains the team’s backup, but with every carry it’s one more opportunity to show why the Commanders trading the young running back was a mistake.
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