There have been times over the past couple of seasons when it seemed as if the Washington Commanders were trying to part company with Chris Rodriguez Jr. He arrived as a sixth-round draft pick in 2023, just as the club was entering the dying days of the Ron Rivera regime. He seemed an odd choice.
The Commanders already had an excellent power back in Brian Robinson Jr., and the common wisdom was that they might want a change of pace back. Perhaps a speedy pass catcher would form a good partnership with the Alabama product. But in Rodriguez, they were drafting another version of what they already had.
Rodriguez made the team in his rookie year and showed pretty good burst for a power back in his limited opportunities. But then came the new regime. Adam Peters and Dan Quinn swept the roster clean and began a rebuild. He was just another of countless Rivera draft picks who were waived before the 2024 season.
Commanders must make Chris Rodriguez Jr. a legitimate focal point down the stretch
After releasing him, Peters signed him back to the practice squad, and he got occasional callups during the campaign. He only ended the year with 35 carries, but Rodriguez led all Washington running backs (including Jayden Daniels) with an outstanding success rate of 74.3 percent. The signal-caller was second amongst runners with at least 30 carries at 62.8%.
Heading into this season, Rodriguez found himself fighting for a roster spot. Peters felt good enough about his running backs to trade away Robinson before Week 1. But the name on everyone’s lips was rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
With veterans Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols ensconced, and Croskey-Merritt serving as the newest shiny object, Rodriguez was facing another uphill battle.
But he did make the final 53-man roster, one of just six Rivera-era draft picks still with the club.
This season, Croskey-Merritt got off to a good start but eventually hit a wall. Over the last six games, Rodriguez has emerged as the Commanders’ lead back. Since taking on a larger role in Week 9, he has carried the ball 54 times for 253 rushing yards, which works out to 4.7 yards per carry. He has scored three touchdowns in the last five games.
Rodriguez has typically been seen as a short-yardage bulldozer, best used on the goal line. But he has shown that he has enough burst to be an every-down back. He will never have the breakaway speed to challenge the league’s elite runners, and he is much more likely to run over a defender than to make a shifty move and force a missed tackle.
But the Commanders' offense is struggling mightily. The passing game has never been in sync, and now injuries to Daniels and Zach Ertz threaten it even more.
Having a steady, one-cut downhill runner may be just what they need to stabilize a foundering unit. Croskey-Merritt will still get his chances to break big runs, and McNichols should still be in on third downs. Rodriguez has yet to show any real talent as a pass catcher.
But Rodriguez has become the Commanders' de facto lead running back. It’s a position the resilient third-year player has earned, and it’s one he should hold onto for the remainder of 2025.
Come 2026, all bets are off.
Peters is going to make some significant changes. But Rodriguez has been kicked to the curb before, and he has come back. Don’t be surprised if he is still playing an essential role for Washington in the years to come.