Commanders veteran fading into camp irrelevance as rookie takes over spotlight

There are some fantastic stories emerging from training camp. That doesn't mean it's good news for everybody.

This bears more significance for one veteran Washington Commanders player, who's fading to camp irrelevancy as one rookie upstart takes the spotlight.

One doesn't have to look far around the media to see the impact being made by Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The seventh-round running back made an exceptional impression during early workouts, and he's continued this trend at training camp.

The aggression and decisiveness with which he runs the football drew huge plaudits. This also hasn't gone unnoticed by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who's already handing the rookie first-team reps in two-minute/no-huddle situations.

There was a slight intrigue around Croskey-Merritt when the Commanders took him at No. 245 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He came into the franchise with a huge chip on his shoulder after seeing his stock plummet through no real fault of his own. It's taken just a few short months for hype and expectation to go through the roof.

Jeremy McNichols' roster spot in jeopardy as Commanders' rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt surges

Croskey-Merritt is a lock to make the 53-man roster if the same trend continues. Much will depend on how many running backs the Commanders take through, but Jeremy McNichols is rapidly becoming the odd man out.

McNichols joined the franchise last year. He was a backup behind the starting tandem of Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, performing relatively well when called upon. He got a new one-year deal this offseason, but it came with no guarantees regarding his roster status.

The Commanders are not interested in what players have done before. They are firmly focused on the next challenge, and anyone not fitting into the team's plans won't be around when Week 1 against the New York Giants arrives.

While McNichols earned trust from the coaching staff last season, it seems like Croskey-Merritt has surged above him in the race to become the Commanders' third running back behind Robinson and Ekeler. And looking at the potential for Deebo Samuel Sr. and Jaylin Lane to be used in the ground attack, that might be all Washington needs.

It'll be interesting to see how the Commanders approach this. McNichols is an experienced pro with proven production, which holds weight with this staff. But if Croskey-Merritt takes this positive momentum into the preseason, there's no chance of him being overlooked.

McNichols' ship may have already sailed, but he'll keep fighting until his fate is officially confirmed one way or another.

More Commanders news and analysis