Rivera: Robinson Jr. off crutches, rehab process going well originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Not only is Brian Robinson Jr.'s rehabilitation process going well, Ron Rivera says, his presence around the Commanders’ facility also seems to have teammates rallying around him.
With Washington’s Week 1 matchup four days away, the team is gearing up to take on Jacksonville in the first regular season game of the Commanders era. Robinson Jr. won’t play—he’ll be held out until at least Week 5 as he was placed on the non-football injury list—but is making progress in his quest to return to football.
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“It’s going well. As I reported yesterday, he’s off crutches,” Rivera said Wednesday. “He’s walking around at a very steady pace right now. They’re rehabbing him every day he comes in. He’s getting his work in, so we’ll see how he continues to progress.”
Washington’s rookie running back was the victim of an attempted robbery over a week ago in Northeast D.C., which resulted in Robinson Jr. getting shot twice. He was treated at a local hospital and had surgery on his lower body.
Robinson Jr.’s incident sent shockwaves throughout the Commanders’ organization, but their spirits were lifted less than 48 hours after the shooting when the 23-year-old returned to the team’s facility in Ashburn. He was smiling as he greeted coaches and teammates, Oreos in hand.
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“I think it’s really cool,” Rivera said of Robinson’s presence at the facility. “The guys reacted very, very positively the first day he came back after being discharged. That was a really cool moment for the guys because they got to see him in person. The realization that he’s gonna be okay I think really helped settle a lot of the guys.”
The exact timeline when Robinson will be able to return to football activities remains unclear. Washington seemed to remain confident he will be able to play this year, as they decided to include him in the 53-man roster for the regular season. The only sure thing is that he will watch from the sidelines until Week 5 vs. Tennessee at the earliest.
