The San Francisco 49ers beat the New York Giants 34-24 in Week 9, but fans are wondering why 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. isn’t getting more action after impressing on his first carry. Now, a 49ers analyst has chimed in with what he believes is holding the player back.
“Roster Politics” May Not Be the Issue
During the 49ers and Giants game on X, a fan asked Grant Cohn, the publisher of “49ers on SI,” why Robinson Jr. wasn’t getting more work in the offense after running for 16 yards on his initial carry.
“Is there a reason Brian Robinson isn’t getting any runs after he had a 20 yarder earlier??” the fan asked. In response, Cohn reposted it with a simple two-word response: “Roster politics.”
Roster politics. https://t.co/abmKfSCJLv
— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) November 2, 2025
When this question was asked, Robinson had a 16-yard carry with 20 seconds to go in the first quarter to advance to the Giants’ 37-yard line. After that, he didn’t have another carry. However, after Cohn answered the question, Robinson received three straight carries with the following results:
- 5-yard run to the Giants’ 28-yard line
- 10-yard run to the Giants’ 18-yard line
- 18-yard run for a touchdown
Robinson was acquired from the Washington Commanders in late August before the start of the regular season for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Of course, in coming to the 49ers, Robinson would be behind superstar/do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey. The stats show that, too. This season, McCaffrey has handled 79.8% of the 49ers’ running back carries, while Robinson has gotten 19.2%.
McCaffrey is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, but he scored on the drive directly after Robinson’s touchdown. In the game against the Giants, McCaffrey had 28 carries for 106 yards, a rushing touchdown, and five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Overall, this season, Robinson, heading into Week 9, saw 36 carries for 144 yards (four yards per carry) and no touchdowns.
So, sure, Robinson had a great run, but it’s not surprising to see him disappear at the time he did. He hasn’t exactly been averaging an absurd number of yards per carry, so there appears to be more to it than roster politics.
Any time McCaffrey is on the field, sure, he may not be the most effective ball carrier at this point in his career, but his presence alters how defenses play the 49ers because he’s such a massive threat as a receiver. His presence has helped the 49ers, amid injuries, rank No. 14 in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric with a 76.5 score.
Robinson has had a good game, with three carries since this question was asked, and has scored.