James Robinson will play in Week 1 vs. Commanders

September 7 update: Robinson did not appear on the first injury report and appears on track to play on Sunday.

September 5 update: Robinson will be activated and play on Sunday against the Commanders, per John Shipley. How much he’ll play and how his touches will be split with Travis Etienne is all still very much up in the air.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson tore his achilles in the first quarterback against the New York Jets in Week 16. The recovery time for that injury is usually 6-8 months. A mid-August report had the Jaguars saying that Robinson was expected to play in Week 1, but head coach Doug Pederson walked that back slightly a week later. Robinson was not placed on the PUP list, increasing the speculation that he will be active for the opener against the Washington Commanders.

Fantasy football implications

Even if Robinson is fully healthy and available for a full allotment of carries, he’s going to be splitting a lot of time with second-year pro Travis Etienne. The former first-round pick is going to be utilized heavily as a receiver out of the backfield and that might limit Robinson’s time on the field. Either way it seems like a matter of when, not if, Etienne takes over as the primary back in the Jaguars offense.