Brian Robinson's agent not happy after Commanders use rookie's shooting to attack D.C. Attorney General

The Washington Commanders are nothing if not creative. After all, how many other NFL teams would react to news of an upcoming Washington D.C. attorney general announcement by using their rookie's shooting as a shield?

That was the first step a team spokesperson took in responding to Attorney General Karl Racine scheduling a news conference for Thursday to make a major announcement about the team, following an investigation into the franchise's alleged workplace misconduct and potentially more. In a statement released to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, the Commanders decided to bring up the shooting of running back Brian Robinson Jr.:

"Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times, in broad daylight. Despite the out -of-control violent crime in DC, today the Washington Commanders learned for the first time on Twitter that the D.C. Attorney General will be holding a press conference to "make a major announcement" related to the organization tomorrow.

"The Commanders have fully cooperated with the AG's investigation for nearly a year. As recently as Monday, a lawyer for the team met with the AG who did not suggest at that time that he intended to take any action and, in fact, revealed fundamental misunderstandings of the underlying facts. It is unfortunate that, in his final days in office, Mr. Racine appears more interested in making splashy headlines, based on offbeat legal theories, rather than doing the hard work of making the streets safe for our citizens, including bringing to justice the people who shot one of our players."

Robinson, a third-round pick in the 2022 draft, was shot twice during an attempted robbery in D.C. Two teenagers have been arrested and charged in connection to the shooting. Robinson has since made a successful return to the field. Jhabvala also noted the D.C. attorney general's office doesn't have jurisdiction over serious adult crimes in the district.

The team has for years been fighting off allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct under team owner Dan Snyder, a matter that has reached Congress and now has criminal investigations in the works among D.C., Virginia and federal authorities.

One person who especially did not appreciate the rhetoric in the Commanders' statement was Robinson's agent, Ryan Williams of Athletes First.

The statement was widely criticized in the media as a cynical ploy meant to distract from serious issues with the team under Snyder, enough so that Commanders president Jason Wright released a statement affirming the team's support for law enforcement and admitting its statement shouldn't have mentioned Robinson:

I just spoke to Chief Contee, conveying how much we support the work of MPD, as well as public safety leaders and elected officials working to reduce gun violence and crime across the region. The earlier statement expressed our external counsel's ongoing frustration with the Attorney General's office, as they have been nothing but earnest and transparent in their communications with his team. The lawyers' legitimate frustrations with the AG should have been separate and apart from referencing the terrible crime that affected our player.

A quick sampling of the scorn for Washington:

ASHBURN, VA - AUGUST 17: Brian Robinson #8 of the Washington Commanders participates in a drill during training camp at INOVA Sports Performance Center on August 17, 2022 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The Commanders did not have to bring up Brian Robinson while criticizing the D.C. Attorney General. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) (Scott Taetsch via Getty Images)

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