What happened to Brian Robinson? Commanders RB ruled out in Week 13 game vs Dolphins

Brian Robinson Jr. has clearly taken over as the workhorse running back for the Washington Commanders during the 2023 NFL season. He has dominated the workload distribution in their backfield this year, leading their running backs in total yards and touches.

He was at it again in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins before an apparent hamstring injury ended his day early.

During a rushing attempt in the second quarter of the game, Robinson was dragged down by a Dolphins defender. What initially appeared to be a routine play and tackle turned out to be a major concern for the Commanders when their star running back reportedly hurt his hamstring.

After being helped to the sidelines by the medical staff, Robinson was evaluated to analyze the severity of the injury. He was then taken to the locker room prior to halftime to be further examined and was officially listed as questionable to return. He remained there until his team joined him during halftime.

When the Commanders came out of the locker room for the second half, they announced that Brian Robinson was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to his hamstring injury in the first half. The exact severity of the injury is unknown, but apparently, it was bad enough to keep him out of the contest.

Expect the Commanders to provide some update on the details of Brian Robinson's hamstring injury soon. They, fortunately, are on their bye week now, potentially giving him additional time to recover as long as the issue is not something that will be season-ending.

Who will replace Brian Robinson for Commanders?

Robinson and Gibson

After being ruled out for the second half, Antonio Gibson directly replaced Brian Robinson. The veteran is most often utilized as a receiving specialist out of the backfield, but he will be expected to carry more of the rushing load if Robinson is forced to miss additional time.

Behind Gibson is Chris Rodriguez Jr., who would likely be elevated to their RB2 with Robinson out of the lineup. He has received limited playing time during his young career so far but has flashed upside in his few opportunities.

If Robinson is forced to miss any game moving forward, he would presumably get his first opportunity at an expanded role.