Brian Robinson Jr. excused from Commanders practice as trade rumors linger

Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. was not at practice on Wednesday, just days after he wasn’t in attendance for Washington’s preseason game on Monday, though head coach Dan Quinn told reporters that it was an “excused” absence. 

All of this comes amid speculation over Robinson’s future with the Commanders after he served as the team’s primary back the past three seasons. 

“Brian’s been excused from the practice today, and we hope to have some resolution on that soon,” Quinn told reporters on Wednesday.

Robinson is entering the final year of his rookie deal with the Commanders, who drafted him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. 

In 41 games for the organization, Robinson rushed for 2,329 yards and last season, he set a career high for single-season rushing yards with 799 and a personal-best eight touchdowns.

Earlier this week, ESPN reported that the Commanders could trade Robinson in the near future, and if nothing comes to fruition, may end up cutting him. 

Considering the time left on his contract, a trade could become a challenge to pull off if teams aren’t willing to part with certain assets, even though the 26-year-old would be a fit for plenty of teams. 

The Commanders appear set to roll with a running back group that includes veterans Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt.

The decision to keep Robinson out of Monday’s preseason game was a joint decision between the team and player and Quinn told reporters earlier in the week that he had spoken to the running back on Sunday. 

“News like that’s always not easy,” Quinn said about the talk he had with Robinson. 

This comes amid the ongoing contract stalemate between the team and wide receiver Terry McLaurin.