New San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson thinks he and Christian McCaffrey can become the best duo in the league.
“It was great,” Robinson said after practice. “Great energy, good to be around C-Mac, and feeling his energy, and see how he goes about his business, and being able to just jump right in and compliment the best I know how. And, you know, it was like a first day of school. I got lost in the hallway for a second, but I found my way to class.”
Robinson, who has not seen the inside of the 49ers complex since his pre-draft visit in 2022, said that the biggest adjustment has been the time difference from East Coast to West Coast time, and he is trying to adjust his body and his routine as quickly as possible. But he said that his new teammates have offered their support.
“I feel like everyone that I bumped into, even Christian texted me [on my] first day and was like, ‘yo, this [is] C-Mac, if you need anything, let me know.’ I’m like, ‘look, man, I’m good right now. I’m just trying to get through the physicals and stuff right now.’ So, I feel like guys definitely [have] been reaching out and definitely been a helping hand for me.”
The Niners added Robinson to be a complementary piece to Christian McCaffrey. The superstar running back is a key cog in the offense, but Shanahan has been looking to decrease his workload, especially after playing just four games in 2024 due to Achilles tendonitis attributed to his intense workout routines and a late-season PCL injury.
The 49ers also have second-year pro Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James on the roster.
Robinson—who was the Commanders’ second-leading rusher in 2024 behind quarterback Jayden Daniels, and led the team in rushing in both 2022 and 2023—is not worried about splitting reps with McCaffrey.
“I see opportunities for myself regardless,” he 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 the room. I respect C-Mac, but I’m a competitor. I come here to compete...I’m ready to do my thing just as well as Christian [is] ready to do his. My job right now is just to complement him the best way I can, and we’re going to be the best duo in the league.”
Shanahan is famous for his outside zone-heavy run scheme that stretches the defense laterally. But the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Robinson was primarily used as a downhill runner in his time with the Commanders. He said Monday he understands how his head coach uses his running backs, and there is no conflict between his running style and his coach’s rushing attack.
“It’s simple,” he said of the differences between his old offense and the 49ers’. “The same way I’ve always ran it, inside and outside zone, just different terminology, obviously coming from one system to another. But same footwork, same reads, same everything.”
He said he was made aware of this from the beginning, but relished the chance to prove himself.
“I’m very, very aware of how coach Shanahan likes to run his offense with his backs, and he emphasized that when he called me,” he said. “It was like, ‘look, you know what I’m about and I’m ready to show you how we get down,’ and I’m like, ‘look I’m ready for it’...I’ve been running the ball my whole life. So I’m ready to just plug and play. I came here ready to play, and I’m sure I want him to be able to use me like that. So whatever run scheme it is, he can throw me in and I’m already ready to execute the plays.”
