Commanders Run Game Could Be NFL Best

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated May 9, 2025 3:21 AM ET

The Washington Commanders' 2024 season was superb by any metric fans want to use, with a run and pass game that was one of the best in football.

Jayden Daniels and the rushing attack were crucial to that, with his 891 rushing yards and six touchdowns, along with Brian Robinson Jr. (799 yards, eight touchdowns), and Austin Ekeler (367 yards, four touchdowns).

The Commanders averaged a whopping 149.1 rush yards per game (fourth-best in football), with Daniels leading the way as the unit put up points for fun.

Now, as we turn our attention to the 2025 season, the running back room of the Commanders is seen as one of the best in football according to CBS Sports.

In ranking all running back rooms, the Commanders are in the second tier (of seven) called QB/RB duos.

"The final team in this tier is the Washington Commanders, who took the NFL by storm last season thanks to Jayden Daniels," CBS Sports writes. "The 2024 second overall pick was central to the team's rushing attack last season. Daniels' 891 yards on the ground broke the rookie record for a quarterback. That led the Commanders team, but not far behind him was Brian Robinson Jr., who finished with 799 rushing yards and eight touchdowns after being limited to 14 games. As a team, Washington finished third in the league in rushing yards."

One could easily make the case that without Daniels' running threat, the Commanders' run game wouldn't be as potent, but that is what makes Kliff Kingsbury's unit so special.

They have weapons everywhere, and we are now adding Deebo Samuel, whose talent as a runner is well-documented, and one of the league's best run games last season, appears to be at least as good as last year, if not better.

With the Commanders in win-now mode, the franchise will be tough to stop when everything clicks, and we imagine the run game will have a big role in how far Washington goes in 2025.

And yes, Daniels will be central to all of it, just as a great quarterback is.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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