Teen Arrested in Shooting of NFL Rookie Brian Robinson

A teenage boy has been arrested in relation to the shooting of Washington Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson. Police announced the 17-year-old has been charged with assault with the intent to rob while armed, according to ESPN. His name has not been released to the public due to him being a minor. 

According to TMZ Sports, police are still on the hunt for an additional suspect, who was seen brandishing a gun at the scene of the crime. Robinson, 23, was shot twice in the right leg on Aug. 28 in northeast Washington. He underwent surgery and sat out the first month of the season. Robinson made his NFL debut on Oct. 9 and rushed for 22 years on nine carries in Washington's loss against the Tennessee Titans. Robinson has since become the team's starting running back. 

"We have to be smart about how we're gonna handle him," Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said, per the team's official website. "We gotta handle those expectations. We also gotta handle, what he's gonna go through physically and mentally. It is a different set of circumstances. I don't know of any other player that I've coached that's had to go through this." 

Following his debut, Robinson talked about his love for football and his appreciation of getting to play after being shot. "I've been playing the game for almost 18 years of my life," Robinson said. "It's just always been football to me. But now it's my life, and I realize how much that I put into this game and bonding through this game. It just means so much to me." Robinson added: "I just wanna keep making progress, keep making strides in the right direction. Coming in here, finding ways to get better, get my body feeling better, get more involved into the game plan week in and week out and just help my team win."

Robinson was selected by the Commanders in the third round after playing college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. During his time at Alabama, Robinson was named All-SEC First Team in 2021 and helped the team win two national championships. In 2021, Robinson rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns.