Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Brian Robinson Jr.

Wednesday, January 8, 3:30 PM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday that the plan is to bring wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. back for the 2025 season. After signing receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to a hefty extension before the start of the 2024 season, it was assumed that the Niners would likely move on from Samuel heading into 2025 given his significant salary-cap hit. In addition to the decision regarding the future of Samuel, who missed the Week 18 regular-season finale due to rib and wrist injuries, the 49ers will also be navigating a long-term extension for quarterback Brock Purdy. If the Niners change their mind on the 28-year-old Samuel, he could be a trade candidate with one year left on his deal. In 15 games in 2024, he had 51 catches for 670 yards and only three touchdowns despite Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) missing significant time with injuries.

Sunday, January 26, 6:40 PM

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. tallied just 36 yards on 11 rushing attempts in the NFC title game. The Commanders played from behind throughout the game as the Eagles got out to an early lead. As a result, this put Robinson out of the game plan. However, when given the ball, the Alabama product was ineffective, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Last weekend, Robinson tallied 77 yards and two scores on 15 carries in their upset victory over the Detroit Lions. After averaging a solid 64 rushing yards per game during his first 10 games, Robinson saw his production decline over the back half of the season. Over his final seven games of the 2024 season, Robinson eclipsed 60 rushing yards in just two games and scored just two touchdowns. Given his inconsistent production, the Commanders will likely address this position in the offseason.