Commanders place Jerome Ford on IR

Whether Croskey-Merritt can participate in the Commanders’ three-day mandatory minicamp, from June 16-18, is unknown. That said, Standig believes RB coach Anthony Lynn’s “positivity is notable.” Lynn thinks the team can take Croskey-Merritt’s game “to another level and get him potentially in the lead role.” To do this, Croskey-Merritt must take on more responsibility in the passing game this summer. Lynn adds that the young back’s “hands are very good, his movement skills are very good, and there’s no reason why he couldn’t win routes.” The staff is happy with its new-look backfield, but Standing writes that RBs Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols and Jerome Ford “are not high-volume playmaking threats,” like “Bill” is, and rookie RB Allen is still getting up to speed. Once Croskey-Merritt arrives, he must prove that he can meaningfully contribute as a receiver and as a pass protector. Doing so would unlock a fantasy-friendly role.

Ford had a successful run with the Browns from 2022 to 2025, with his best years coming in 2023 and 2024 when he rushed for a combined 308-1,378-7 while adding another 81-544-5 through the air. He was phased out of the offense in 2025 after the Browns added rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, but Ford could have a chance at seeing a more significant role in Washington. We’ll have more clarity on what Ford’s role could look like after the draft, where the Commanders could still opt to take an RB on Day 1 or Day 2, but he’ll make for an interesting late-round dart throw if he’s only competing for reps with Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White.

He’ll miss the next four games, so unless he works out some sort of injury settlement with the team, Ford’s season is over. He managed 24 carries for 73 yards as Cleveland’s third-down back early in the season , but his playing time gradually dwindled, never receiving more than 17 snaps in a game after Week 6. Brown will enter free agency this offseason and likely will draw some interest as a third-down back, but he’s not much of a fantasy asset as this stage of his career.

Ford was active after reportedly suffering a setback with his lingering hamstring injury this week in practice. He ran 12 routes on the day to 11 routes for Quinshon Judkins. Both Browns back had three grabs thanks to a game plan predicated on constant Shedeur Sanders check downs. Ford would only have fantasy value if Judkins were to miss time in the coming weeks.

There was some question as to whether Ford would play in Week 13 after being downgraded to a DNP on Thursday as he deals with a lingering hamstring issue. Ford being active is a slight hit to Quinshon Judkins’ fantasy prospects, though the Browns should be run heavy enough for Judkins to deliver RB2 numbers. The Browns declared G Zak Zinter, T Cornelius Lucas, WR Jamari Thrash, TE Brenden Bates, DE Alex Wright, and DT Adin Huntington inactive against the Niners.

Ford was limited on Wednesday and downgraded to DNP on Thursday, indicating he may have strained his hamstring in practice, causing the limited session. Rookie RBs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson have dominated snaps over the last two weeks. That should again be the case this week, even if Ford is active.

Njoku dealt with the knee issue last week, but played through it to the tune of zero targets in essentially a part-time role in Week 12. Also limited among the offensive skill players were RB Jerome Ford (hamstring) and WR Jamari Thrash (foot). None of these three are crucial producers for the Browns at the moment. Njoku’s absence would give more opportunities for Harold Fannin, though he is still trending to play Week 13 against the 49ers.

An awful box score, but Sampson was spending more time as the Browns’ primary third-down back this afternoon. That doesn’t matter for early-down workhorse Quinshon Judkins, but it’s not a great development for Jerome Ford. That being said, with Judkins the engine of this offense, Sampson doesn’t have much of a path to carving out receptions-based RB3 value in this awful overall environment.

Pacheco is considered “week-to-week” after suffering a sprained MCL in last week’s win over the Commanders. While the injury doesn’t appear to be one that will land him on injured reserve, Breer said the Chiefs could be eyeing a running back, along with a defensive tackle, before next week’s trade deadline. Injury aside, Pacheco has rushed for a pedestrian 78-329-1 on the season and hasn’t gone for more than 58 yards in a game. The number of available running backs at the deadline could be limited, but Breece Hall remains a popular name in the rumor mill, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported earlier that the Browns could be open to dealing Jerome Ford. The trade deadline is set for November 4th, meaning every team, with the exception of those on bye, will get one more look at their rosters to see where things stand before finalizing any decisions.

“Both have basically been replaced by rookies, and both are eligible for free agency next year. This is standard business, even though Njoku carries $24 million of dead money from a past contract acceleration into next year,” Jackson writes. Njoku being traded would obviously be major news for both the acquiring team and the Harold Fannin TE1 Hive. It makes plenty of sense for the Browns to move both players if they can get a real return on them.