Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I guess it’s not as much of a no-brainer to designate Brian Robinson Jr. as one of my keepers in my fantasy football dynasty league.
If you’re reading this on SI.com, click here to subscribe and receive SI:AM directly in your inbox each morning.
In today’s SI:AM:
🏈 How college football copies the NFL
⭕ No. 4 Ohio State
📺 MLB’s broadcast future
Two key players on the move?
As the Commanders and Bengals squared off in a preseason edition of Monday Night Football last night, two of the most notable players on either roster were nowhere to be found.
Cincinnati defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Washington running back Brian Robinson Jr. did not participate as signs continue to point to them beginning the season elsewhere.
Hendrickson’s relationship with the Bengals has been rocky for months. The team gave him permission to seek a trade in March, but no trade partner emerged. He also skipped the first week of training camp while he and the franchise negotiated an extension. He did report to camp on July 30 but has not participated in practice.
ESPN’s Laura Rutledge spoke with Hendrickson before Monday night’s game at Washington and reported that Hendrickson remains committed to his threat to sit out the season if he doesn’t get a deal done. There is some positive momentum toward a deal, though. Hendrickson said that he and the Bengals have agreed on the length and average annual salary of a potential new contract, but remain apart on the guaranteed money. Cincinnati does not want to guarantee any salary beyond the contract’s first year.
Robinson’s uncertain future in Washington is more of a surprise. The first indication that anything was amiss came on Sunday, when Jordan Schultz (formerly of Fox Sports) reported that the Commanders had “been shopping” Robinson. When Robinson did not play in Monday night’s game, the idea that his time with the Commanders might be done suddenly seemed less outlandish.
Washington coach Dan Quinn declined to speak definitively about Robinson’s future with the team but did say that he and general manager Adam Peters spoke with Robinson on Sunday afternoon.
“News like that’s always not easy,” Quinn said of the conversation with Robinson.
Robinson has been the Commanders’ top running back since he entered the league in 2022 as a third-round pick out of Alabama. The start of his NFL career was delayed after he was shot in the leg during a carjacking attempt and missed the first four games of his rookie season. But since his debut, Robinson has been among the most durable running backs in the NFL. His 570 carries over the past three seasons are more than double what any other Washington back has over that span and 18th most in the NFL.
But Robinson also has the misfortune of being one of only a few Washington players who was brought in by the team’s previous front office, so it makes sense that Quinn and Peters would be less hesitant to let him go. What doesn’t make much sense is why Washington would apparently be content to let him go without getting anything in return. ESPN’s John Keim reported that the Commanders may just cut Robinson if they can’t find a trade partner. Robinson is set to become a free agent after the season. Cutting him would save $3.4 million against the salary cap, but Washington already has roughly $16.9 million in cap space for this season.
The Commanders have a few options in their backfield if they end up parting ways with Robinson. The 30-year-old Austin Ekeler ranked second among Washington running backs last season with 77 carries and remains on the roster. Bill Croskey-Merritt, a rookie seventh-round pick, led the way with 11 rushes on Monday, followed by third-year pro ChrisChirs Rodriguez Jr. (six carries). Receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., acquired from the 49ers in a trade this offseason, was also used as a running back on occasion during his time in San Francisco. Washington also has 29-year-old veteran Jeremy McNichols listed third on its unofficial depth chart.
The good news for Washington is that it also has an elite running threat at quarterback. Jayden Daniels led the team with 891 rushing yards as a rookie last season, but relying on your quarterback to carry your ground game can be dangerous. The Commanders better hope they’re making the right decision with Robinson and giving Daniels the help he needs in the backfield.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- College football is increasingly mirroring the NFL, with head coaches yielding roster control to newly empowered general managers who now shape recruiting, transfers and team building.
- SI ranks Ohio State No. 4 in its preseason Top 25, with the Buckeyes boasting the nation’s best offensive and defensive stars as they aim to defend their national title.
- Gilberto Manzano weighs in on a trio of quarterbacks, as well as the idea of the Lions trading for a dominant edge rusher in this week’s Fact or Fiction.
- From Week Zero through rivalry weekend, SI predicts the outcome of every 2025 game for all 68 Power 4 teams plus Notre Dame, including full standings and schedules.
- Notre Dame checks in as SI’s preseason No. 5 team. The core from the 2024 title runner-up returns as questions around head coach Marcus Freeman and the program fade.
- Jimmy Traina writes that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred revealed two major updates on baseball’s broadcast future and possible geographic realignment.
- Real Madrid start their season today against Osasuna, hoping to put last season's huge disappointment behind them.
- With the first Premier League gameweek done and dusted, here's our team of the week. Do you agree?
The top five…
… things I saw last night:
5. Cardinals center fielder Nathan Church’s range to track down a ball deep in the gap.
4. Bryce Harper’s homers of 440 and 448 feet. He’s the only player this season with two homers of at least 440 feet in the same game.
3. A trio of amazing catches by Bengals receiver Mitchell Tinsley.
2. Jayden Daniels’s impressive agility on a scramble for a touchdown.
1. An outstanding barehanded play by Ke’Bryan Hayes after the ball deflected off the pitcher’s foot.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | Trey Hendrickson and Brian Robinson Missing From Bengals-Commanders Clash.