Could Brian Robinson be Chicago’s missing RB2?

Amber Searls - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 7 hours ago

As Chicago continues to prep for the preseason finale, things could look a lot different when that game concludes. For starters, it doesn't appear that any of the Bears' starters will be on the field, at least not the main starters, after putting on a great performance against Buffalo.

On the flip side, Andy Reid has already confirmed his starters will play against the Bears, and that alone could make this a blowout game depending on how long they play. You may want the Bears to go starter for starter with the Chiefs to gauge where they are against one of the league's best, but you can understand the situation of not playing their main guys that late in the preseason.

Along with all the preparations taking place, there is still the possibility of the Bears adding to this roster before the regular season breaks. Adding any player this late into practice is going to limit what they can do when the season starts, but the sooner they get acclimated to what is going on, the quicker they can become an instant impact in this lineup.

One player who is on the trading block is Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson, who was held out of Monday's game due to being on the block. The former third-round pick out of the University of Alabama has been a very productive back since joining the Commanders, but he is entering the final year of his deal, and with Austin Eckeler and other backs still on the roster, he seems to be the most likely one to lose his spot.

Given what you have seen from Ian Wheeler, Kyle Monangai, and Brittain Brown this preseason, adding another running back may not be as high as it once was. Still, Robinson is better than any of those guys and would immediately come into Chicago as running back two behind D'Andre Swift. The now 26-year-old has had an interesting career, as many know the story of what happened to him during his rookie season.

For those who don't know, Robinson was shot during the summer of his rookie season, which forced him to miss the first month plus. Once he was healthy enough to play, Robinson still wound up playing in 12 games, nine coming as starts, where he rushed for 797 yards and two scores. One year later, he became the Commanders' feature back, rushing for 733 yards and five scores before having a career year in 2024.

While his rushing totals don't scream elite back with 799 yards, his touchdowns do as he picked up a career best eight scores in 2024 to go with a career high in yardage. That gives him 2399 yards and 16 scores on the ground through three seasons, while also adding 587 yards and five scores through the air.

Even if he has yet to top the 800 yards as a pro, Robinson has also never fallen under 730 yards, as he has been consistent with his production. Trading for him wouldn't make him a feature back, but instead a reliable backup and arguably one of the best backup backs in the NFL. Would the yards go down in that role? Sure, but if he could give the Bears 500-600 yards in a reserve role, it would make this offense that much more balanced and harder to defend.

Although it may only be the preseason, you can see the potential for this offense and just how dynamic it can be. The Bears racked up more than 500 yards in total offense against the Bills and close to 400 yards against the Dolphins. That was a common theme when he was running the show in Detroit, and the Bears are hopeful that it will translate long term here.

A big reason for his offensive success was having a pair of reliable running backs that he could count on in any situation. Whether that be Swift and Jamaal Williams in year one, or David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs the past few seasons, Johnson has been one of the best when it comes to utilizing two running backs.

He would love for that to be the case in Chicago, as he already has a reliable option in Swift, but is still trying to figure out who will be the secondary man to him. As of now, Monangai is the favorite, but that could all change if the Bears were to trade for Robinson, as this is a deal that wouldn't cost a lot and would make this offense that much better.