Jacory

Croskey-Merritt

We reported that Croskey-Merritt was limited in Monday’s practice yesterday but didn’t have a specific injury. Now we have a vague injury area. By Wednesday, we may even know which leg it’s on. We’re not overly concerned about Croskey-Merritt’s Week 1 prospects just yet — he did participate a little in yesterday’s practice — but it’s something to monitor ahead of the opening slate.

According to Commanders beat writer Ben Standig, Croskey-Merritt reporters saw him “pull up at the end of a catch-and-run in Thursday’s practice.” The fact that he’s still working in a limited capacity suggests this isn’t anything to be too worried about at this time, but “Bill” is the latest of several Commanders players to already be dealing with injuries in camp. Washington has been without Rachaad White (hamstring) since the team’s joint practice with the Dolphins, leaving unproven rookies Kaytron Allen and Robert Henry, and veteran Craig Reynolds as the only healthy backs in camp.

Now we know why the Commanders’ receiving back has been absent at practice recently. White reportedly tweaked a hamstring during joint practices with the Dolphins last week. He worked out prior to Friday’s preseason game, but did not play. Garafolo adds that White has “excelled” in new OC David Blough’s offense during OTAs and training camp, though starting RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt has notably been praised for his pass-catching improvements recently.

ESPN’s John Keim expects to hear an update on White tomorrow morning. Backup RB Jeremy McNichols is dealing with a quad injury and RB Jerome Ford (hamstring) was recently placed on injured reserve. As things currently stand, starting RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, rookie RBs Kaytron Allen and Robert Henry, and veteran RB Craig Reynolds are the four healthy players. Croskey-Merritt’s reported passing game improvements have come at the right time. Allen played well on a sizable preseason Week 1 workload. He might be in line for RB2 duties if White were to miss time.

Writing in his Last Man Standig blog, Standig added that Bill has also improved in pass protection. Rachaad White was brought in to handle work on passing downs, but the Commanders only paid him $2 million on a one-year deal. JCM could easily eat into White’s role through the air if he rounds out his skill set. White currently goes ahead of JCM in Best Ball drafts. That ADP could easily flip with another round of Bill hype.

Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt was noticeably bigger this spring, per Keim, and Dan Quinn said they’d told the back he needed to add bulk and be a bigger factor in the passing game. Keim doesn’t list a strong No. 2 runner on the depth chart, but we’d expect Rachaad White to have first crack at the No. 2 duties. Bill probably belongs in the RB3/RB4 tier for the moment.

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.

The two-down grinder will join a Washington backfield alongside Rachaad White and Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Allen (5’11/216) was a four-star recruit with offers from every powerhouse in the country. After landing at Penn State, he immediately showed why he was so sought after coming out of high school. He ran for a pair of touchdowns against Auburn in his third career game and cleared 100 yards versus Central Michigan the next week. Allen would go on to lead the Nittany Lions in carries while competing with five-star freshman Nick Singleton for touches. That would be the case for all four of his seasons at Penn State. Allen’s outstanding career culminated in a 210-1,303-15 rushing line in 2025, making him Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. He does all the little things well as a runner, allowing plays to develop and following blockers like a seasoned pro. The biggest drawback is a lack of top-end speed or agility. Allen’s mark of 3.8 yards after contact per carry ranked just outside the top 50 backs in the country last year. The fact that he opted not to do athletic testing at the NFL Combine or his Pro Day suggests his numbers would have been underwhelming.

The signing reunites White with his college signal caller, Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. The two played together from 2020-2021 at Arizona State. White logged 42 carries and eight receptions in 2020 before blossoming into a featured dual-threat player in 2021. That season, he rushed 182 times and caught 43 passes. The Commanders will likely add another running back or two via free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft, but White can currently be viewed as the favorite to handle passing down duties and will presumably compete with second-year RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt for the lead rushing role as well. This looks like a fantasy-friendly signing for White.

‘Bill’ Croskey-Merritt and restricted free agent Chris Rodriguez would stand to gain fantasy value if the Commanders focused on a more run-focused approach, as they seem like a team that has limited resources to dedicate to the running back position this offseason. It’s hard to speculate on who the Commanders could bring in to install a scheme that’s akin to what Quinn desires just based on the idea of more run-pass balance, but the search to replace Kliff Kingsbury looks destined to bring in someone with a more buttoned-up run game.