Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt G Fiume/GettyImages

Fan favorite Commanders rookie refusing to fade after depth chart setback

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By Ryan McCafferty | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 1:30 PM ET

When the Washington Commanders released their depth chart for their regular-season opener against the New York Giants, one player's placement stuck out as a major surprise — and in the worst way.

That would be seventh-round rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who became the Commanders' story of the offseason. He was so impressive throughout camps and preseason that the team was willing to trade starter Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers. In theory, this was supposed to pave the way for the first-year pro to claim a prominent role.

Not so fast. Croskey-Merritt will open the season as the fourth running back on Washington's depth chart behind Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, and Chris Rodriguez Jr. That doesn't mean he won't be involved.

Commanders could still feature Jacory Croskey-Merritt in Week 1 and beyond

The running back position has evolved significantly in recent years. Most teams operate by committee instead of featuring one primary workhorse to take most of the carries. Where it would have once been rare to even keep four running backs on a roster once upon a time, teams will now often use that many in the backfield within a single game.

Dan Quinn, on part of the thinking in keeping 4 RBs: "It's different than it was 3 or 4 yrs ago. We'll see how many more teams are covering and returning kicks. ... But I do think the safeties and RBs are sometimes your best special teams guys...[in] the return game especially."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 3, 2025

This means that even if Croskey-Merritt isn't getting significant reps early on in the season, he'll have an opportunity to make an impact on special teams and to play his way into the rotation. It wouldn't be unheard of to have a rookie take a backseat for a few weeks while he learns the ropes, with the expectation that he'll have a featured role before too long.

It's also quite possible that the depth chart was simply inaccurate, given eyewitness accounts from practice on Wednesday. JP Finlay from NBC Sports assured fans that, despite the report, Croskey-Merritt was still getting second-team reps behind only Ekeler.

FWIW Bill going 2nd in RB/QB drills. Ekeler first. pic.twitter.com/opgEnGQK9W
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) September 3, 2025

In other words, we could still be seeing plenty of Croskey-Merritt in Week 1 and throughout the campaign. The fact that the Commanders sat the rookie in their final preseason game while playing both Rodriguez and McNichols would make no sense if both of them are ahead of him in the pecking order.

The worst-case scenario will see Croskey-Merritt take a few weeks to get settled in. Again, there is historic precedent here.

Two years ago, De'Von Achane was a healthy scratch for the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of his rookie season. Two weeks later, he ran for 200 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns.

Relax, people. Croskey-Merritt is going to be just fine.

This article first appeared on Riggo's Rag and was syndicated with permission.

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