Commanders Burdened By Brutal Brian Robinson Jr. Rumor

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 7:15 AM ET

The new era for the Washington Commanders got off to an almighty start in Year 1 with Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels leading the franchise to an NFC Championship game appearance.

Now, set to double down with the additions of Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil, the Commanders are clearly in win-now mode. A big reason for their success last season was the run game, which averaged 154.1 yards per game (third-best).

But as we turn for 2025, the running back room, on paper, appears to lack some juice, but also, the futures of both Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. are murky at best.

They are in fact burdened by rumors about a Robinson-related change here.

So for Pro Football Focus, the franchise looking at a potential replacement for both is on the table.

"Washington’s top running backs, Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, are also under contract through just 2025, which would make drafting a back on Day 3 plausible," Pro Football Focus writes.

If the Commanders' rebuild continues on its trajectory, it will be tough to see Robinson Jr. getting a new contract (there is even talk about a possible draft-day trade), and so will Ekeler.

Now, is that depending on how they fare in 2025? Possibly, but if the Commanders do draft a running back in the first three rounds, then the franchise might be tipping its hat to its long-term plans.

Both Robinson Jr. and Ekeler have been good soldiers - and we think Robinson in particular is being underrated here - but with the Commanders looking to improve to the point where they are in the thick of Super Bowl contention, perhaps the pair might be seen as surplus to requirements.

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

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