T
he NFL offseason is in full swing. Since the conclusion of the 2025 season in February, teams have been hard at work on assembling a roster capable of Super Bowl contention in 2026. Between free agency and the draft, several storylines have dominated the offseason and have made for an eventful spring ahead of what should be another competitive campaign in 2026.
For the San Francisco 49ers, the 2025 season was a promising one in a lot of ways– finishing 12-5 and returning to the playoffs after a one season absence. But the 49ers’ Super Bowl hopes came to a screeching halt in the NFC divisional playoff round, and team went back to the drawing board. So far this offseason, the 49ers have made a plethora of moves in adding pieces that prove just how serious the team is about competing in a loaded NFC West. But while the team has added talent, they have also seen key players from the ’25 team leave– most recently running back Brian Robinson Jr., who signed a deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, March 24.
Robinson Jr. Heads to the Falcons
Spending a season on the 49ers as Christian McCaffrey‘s backup, the 49ers opted not to bring back Robinson Jr., instead seeing their former ball carrier sign a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Falcons. Already having a star starter in Bijan Robinson, Robinson Jr. will serve in a similar role with the Falcons that he did with the 49ers. First reported by Ari Meirov, Robinson Jr. joining the Falcons gives Atlanta a B-Rob show at running back for 2026.
“The Falcons are signing veteran RB Brian Robinson Jr.,” Meirov said. “It’s the B-Rob show in Atlanta, as Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson is the new backfield for the Falcons.”
Robinson Jr. joined the 49ers ahead of the ’25 regular season in exchange for a sixth round draft pick and while the move was highly notable when it first happened, he ended up playing a very limited role in his lone season in San Francisco, carrying the ball 92 times for 400 yards and two touchdowns– all career lows. While playing in all 17 games, McCaffrey started every game for the 49ers, leaving Robinson Jr. as the second fiddle all year long.
Robinson’s Career So Far
A star at Alabama, winning two national championships and earning First-Team All-SEC honors in 2021, Robinson Jr. was drafted by the Washington Commanders in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Expected to compete for the starting job and become a staple in Washington’s offense for years to come, Robinson Jr. was shot during an armed robbery right before the start of his rookie year, delaying his debut. And while he came back after four weeks, it took him some time to catch up and for the rest of his rookie year, he was more behind in his development than initially expected.
Over the next couple of seasons, Robinson Jr. became a starter for the Commanders, but was never able to reach his full potential. His best season in Washington came in 2024 when he carried the ball 187 times for 799 yards and eight touchdowns, all career highs, but he never surpassed the 1,000 yard mark. Now, Robinson Jr. can spent another season learning behind one of the league’s best running backs in the hopes of earning another starting opportunity in 2027.
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