The Washington Commanders’ willingness to let running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. leave in free agency is telling. His departure has put rising second-year pro Jacory Croskey-Merritt firmly in the crosshairs.
Washington probably would’ve re-signed Rodriguez if they felt good enough about Croskey-Merritt, AKA Bill, leading their backfield moving forward. However, the club’s corresponding moves are a glaring vote of no-confidence in the latter. The Commanders already brought in two veterans, Jerome Ford and Rachaad White, and retained another in Jeremy McNichols, and they reportedly may not be done.
Oregon’s Noah Whittington is “getting a lot of interest” from the Commanders, among other teams, per Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports. Of course, nothing is imminent, but Washington seemingly doing its due diligence doesn't bode well for Croskey-Merritt.
Commanders eyeing Oregon RB Noah Whittington is an indictment of Jacory Croskey-Merritt
White, Ford and McNichols’ presence have no bearing on the Commanders’ upcoming plans. And by the sound of it, Croskey-Merritt is no exception.
There’s been chatter of Washington spending their No. 7 overall pick on Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love, who seems quite open to landing in D.C. Yet, the betting odds suggest he likely won’t be available when it's their turn to choose. With that in mind, the Commanders are ostensibly casting a wider net, with Whittington emerging as a potential option.
Whittington is a smaller, less-heralded 2026 NFL Draft prospect who may not even hear his name called in April. For context, he’s the No. 305-ranked player on Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) big board. Yet, Pauline revealed that the Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears all appear to have the 24-year-old on their radar.
A global pandemic and suffering a torn ACL in 2023 granted Whittington two extra seasons of collegiate eligibility. He chose to stay in school in 2025 with hopes of continuing to develop and improving his stock for the pros, which evidently paid dividends.
Across 13 games as a sixth-year senior, Whittington recorded a career-high 829 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 129 carries. His 6.4 yards per attempt was tied for 41st in the nation out of 193 backs with at least 25 totes (h/t PFF). He earned an honorable All-Big Ten mention by the conference coaches.