There is no way to say, with a straight face, that the Washington Commanders have a good plan at running back in 2026.
You just can’t. Not with a team that hasn’t had a player rush for over 900 yards in a single season since Antonio Gibson rushed for 1,042 yards in 2021, and hasn’t had a player rush for over 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Alfred Morris did it from 2012 to 2014.
That means jobs are up for grabs, and Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport singled out Commanders rookie running back Robert Henry Jr. as the NFL’s “Most Exciting” undrafted free agent.
The Commanders’ leading rusher in 2025 was rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, a 7th-round pick who rushed for 805 yards and 8 touchdowns but also struggled with fumbles.
“Henry was a wildly productive player at UTSA last year — he topped 1,000 yards on the ground,” Davenport wrote. “He averaged almost seven yards per carry and scored 11 total touchdowns while peeling off five runs of 70 yards or more. However, he is also a 24-year-old rookie who is just 5’9″ and 196 pounds, which led to his going undrafted … The Washington running back room isn’t exactly loaded—the team’s lead back is a second-year pro who was a seventh-round pick last year. Henry has a realistic shot to earn a roster spot if he carries his college burst and elusiveness into camp.”
Former JuCo National Player of the Year
Henry was a junior college star at Jones College, where he led the nation with 1,302 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021 and was named NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year.
At UTSA, Henry led the Roadrunners with 11 touchdowns in a backup role in 2021, then led them in rushing each of the next 2 seasons. In 3 seasons, he scored 30 touchdowns and put up 2,747 yards of total offense.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicted Henry would be a 7th-round pick or priority free agent.
“Fifth-year senior whose splashy early-season performance against Texas A&M put him on the map,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Henry is a slasher with a wiggly lower half, allowing him to make sudden cuts and elude tacklers in tight quarters. He’s quicker than fast and struggles to consistently read/react to the development of run lanes. While his burst can create occasional chunk gains, he too often does not keep runs on their designed tracks. He’s yet to show he can be a major factor on third downs and fumbled six times in the last three seasons, which could be impediments in his pursuit of a roster spot.”
Commanders Signed 2 Veteran RBs in Free Agency
The Commanders signed free-agent running backs Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to 1-year contracts, with White leading the way on a 1-year, $2 million contract worth up to $4 million with incentives.
Washington also drafted a running back in the 6th round with Penn State’s Kaytron Allen.
“The Commanders only had one running back under contract — Jacory Croskey-Merritt — and needed someone else,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote. “They allowed Chris Rodriguez to leave via free agency. In White, the Commanders get a back who had 1,539 yards from scrimmage in 2023 but whose touches diminished with the emergence of Bucky Irving the past two seasons. Still, White fills a needed role in Washington. With 205 catches, he’s been a consistent performer in the pass game — an area Croskey-Merritt needs to continue developing. The Commanders still need more at this position, but this move helps.”
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