Is Brian Robinson Jr. playing today? Full injury update for Commanders RB in Week 5

The Washington Commanders have had a clear run on the injury front throughout the campaign. That's not the case with most teams around the league, but it's only enhanced a sensational opening under new head coach Dan Quinn and his coaching staff.

One of the biggest concerns throughout the week's preparations centered on promising running back Brian Robinson Jr. He's been nothing short of outstanding through the opening four games to continue his emergence into an offensive focal point. However, the former third-round selection out of Alabama suffered a knee complication during their eye-catching demolition of the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4 after accumulating 101 rushing yards and a touchdown from 21 carries.

The Commanders took things extremely cautiously during the week. He didn't practice much and is still experiencing soreness. Robinson acknowledged on Friday that he felt much better, but his status for their Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns was still hanging in the balance.

Is Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. playing against the Browns?

Robinson was listed as questionable heading into the clash. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he'll be suiting up in pursuit of continuing his superb start to the season.

This is positive, but how much the Commanders will utilize Robinson remains to be seen. They'd be wise to take things slowly in pursuit of avoiding additional complications. This is something offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury can do thanks to the presence of Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols in the running back room.

Ekeler missed last weekend's triumph but has cleared the NFL's concussion protocols in good time for this one. McNichols impressed considerably versus the Cardinals during limited involvement, scoring two touchdowns and looking like someone who could make a lasting impact with more involvement.

This takes the heat off Robinson to a certain extent - especially considering rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' ability to carve up yards on the ground. He's still going to be a big part of the game plan if healthy, but the player cannot be 100 percent based on how things have unfolded in recent days.

It'll be interesting to see how Kingsbury implements Robinson within his game plan. Things should become clearer over the first couple of drives, but having him out there is something the Browns must account for at all times.

That's not a bad decoy at the very least.

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