The bad news for Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez is his future with the team is very much up for grabs in training camp. The good news for Rodriguez is Commanders running backs have done so little to distinguish themselves the last few years that he’s not the only one in the crosshairs.
Rodriguez might need to do a little more to set himself apart after ESPN’s 53-man roster predictions had the Commanders keep 4 running backs and Rodriguez wasn’t one of them.
Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and rookie Jacorey Croskey-Merritt all made the cut in ESPN’s model.
Riggo’s Rag’s Ryan McCafferty singled Rodriguez out as “barely hanging on” following mandatory minicamp in May.
“That leaves 2023 sixth-round pick Chris Rodriguez Jr. in a rather awkward position,” McCafferty wrote on May 31. “He’s shown some impressive flashes with the Commanders, but he might be hanging onto his roster spot for dear life this summer.”
Rodriguez was a sixth round pick (No. 193 overall) by the Commanders in the 2023 NFL draft after he rushed for 3,643 yards and 33 touchdowns in just 40 career games at the University of Kentucky, including 1,378 yards and 13 total touchdowns as a junior in 2021.
In his first 2 seasons with the Commanders, Rodriguez has 420 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns but has averaged just 3.9 yards per carry.
Whatever happens with Rodriguez, it’s not going to be a financial headache for the Commanders. Rodriguez signed an exclusive rights tender with the Commanders for 2025 that would only pay him approximately $1 million were he to play the full season.
Commanders QB Did Majority of Rushing Work in ’24
The Commanders got a big time rushing effort in 2024, but got it from a player they desperately want to run the ball less — superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Daniels set the NFL rookie quarterback record and led the Commanders with 891 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024. That was after a whole year of “will they or won’t they” with the running backs to see if they would produce, which they never really did.
Robinson wasn’t too far behind, with 799 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns, but missed 3 games due to injuries and the Commanders patience with him might be running out.
While Robinson is in the final season of his 4-year, $5 million rookie contract and has a projected free agent value of a 4-year, $33 million contract from Spotrac, there has been zero buzz around the Commanders considering an extension for Robinson nor does it seem realistic he could actually get that kind of money from another team.
Backfield Added Talent Through 2025 NFL Draft
The wild card for the Commanders in training camp is Croskey-Merritt, a seventh round (No. 245 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft.
ESPN’s Field Yates singled Croskey-Merritt as one of his favorite picks in the draft as an instant upgrade at the position for Washington.
“Croskey-Merritt had a winding college path that started at Alabama State and ended at Arizona, though eligibility issues limited him to only 13 rushes for the Wildcats in 2024,” Yates wrote on April 29. “He has a very intriguing combination of size, speed and overall footwork, but he must develop his instincts and vision. He’s a moldable player for the Commanders to develop.”
