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It hasn’t taken long for San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. to settle in with his new team. After Robinson was traded to San Francisco by the Washington Commanders in one of the offseason’s most surprising moves thus far, Robinson is already making bold proclamations about his future with the franchise and with running mate Christian McCaffrey.

“My job right now is to just complement him (McCaffrey) the best way I can and we’re going to be the best duo in the league,” Robinson said after his first practice with McCaffrey and the 49ers.

Robinson was Washington’s featured running back, though he did often split some carries with the likes of Austin Ekeler in last season. But, entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Commanders decided to trade Robinson to San Francisco instead of signing him to a contract extension.

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“I see opportunities for myself regardless,” Robinson said. “I know C-Mac is going to do his thing and I’m going to be ready to do my thing for sure… I respect everybody. I respect the room. I respect C-Mac. But I’m a competitor. I’m here to compete.”

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan likes to split carries among his running backs, and he’s already expressed a desire to alleviate McCaffrey’s workload entering the 2025 season. McCaffrey’s played more than 10 games in a single season just twice since 2019, as well, so Robinson provides premium insurance for San Francisco.

Robinson has rushed for 2,319 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons. He’s coming off a career-high eight touchdowns rushing and 4.3 yards per carry ahead of his first year with San Francisco.