There aren’t a ton of additions the San Francisco 49ers have made since March. Most of their emphasis was on getting younger, which is why they used all 11 of their draft picks.
However, despite not making a ton of moves or any flashy ones, they still have made ones that make them look like geniuses. One addition the 49ers made that makes them look like geniuses is a recent move.
That addition is…
Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Acquiring Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders. Robinson is in line to start in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Christian McCaffrey is listed as questionable with a calf injury. There were always major questions surrounding McCaffrey entering the 2025 season. The top question was: could he be healthy again?
Sure enough, it appears not. A calf injury limited him for Thursday’s practice and held him out of Friday’s practice, which is scary news considering he dealt with this issue last year.
Eventually, it wasn’t a simple calf injury. McCaffrey was dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis. It’s always jolting when a player is dealing with anything Achilles-related.
McCaffrey recovered from that and was able to play in four games before injuring his knee. All offseason, McCaffrey had been healthy, and countless players and coaches on the 49ers emphasized that.
Now, the 49ers are repeating exactly what happened this time last year. It’s possible, if not likely, that McCaffrey is inactive against the Seahawks.
If he is, it makes the acquisition of Robinson look incredible. It was already a solid move to make to increase the quality of depth with him.
Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) runs for a first down against the Cardinals during a game at State Farm Stadium in in Glendale on Sept. 29, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
But with McCaffrey popping up with a calf injury again, the 49ers look like geniuses. Last year, they had Jordan Mason to keep the running game afloat.
With Mason gone, the 49ers had no one. They were hoping it would be Isaac Guerendo or Jordan James, but neither of them was able to participate in most of training camp due to injuries.
Robinson is a player whom the 49ers can trust since he started for the Commanders and produced. He can keep the running game afloat for the 49ers like Mason did last year.
The downside or concern is that Robinson hasn’t been with the 49ers for long. He’s still wet behind the ears when it comes to getting the offense down.
However, the 49ers have shown that a newly acquired offensive player can fit and produce quickly. It occurred with McCaffrey three years ago and Emmanuel Sanders in 2019.
If the Robinson trade is not made, the 49ers are in a desperate situation. Luckily, they had the smarts to go out and get him to help keep their offense afloat.
