The 2025 NFL season has gone awry in a major way for the Washington Commanders. After making the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season, a plethora of injuries to the roster, including some major blows to himself, have caused Jayden Daniels and the rest of the roster to take a major step back.
However, they haven’t been helped by the running game, which has faltered after an excellent start. One major shocker has been the demotion of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who became an internet sensation early in the year, but now finds himself behind Chris Rodriguez in the depth chart.
What Happened to Jacory Croskey-Merritt?
A lopsided performance saw the Minnesota Vikings dominate the Commanders to the tune of 24-0 through three quarters. Even with Daniels back in the lineup, it was clear that the former second overall pick was severely limited by the elbow injury.
However, the usage of “Bill” was also a shocking statistic, as he got just four carries in the game, compared to nine for Rodriguez. Unfortunately, their production was also starkly different, with Croskey-Merritt managing just 13 yards at close to three yards a carry, whereas Rodriguez dominated with 53 yards and 5.9 yards per carry.
A couple of weeks ago, Rodriguez was named a team captain by Washington. Croskey-Merritt has made some mistakes in the last few weeks, and there have been some signs out there that the rookie is now the clear-cut RB2 behind Rodriguez.
For a player who was at number one on PFSN’s RB Impact at one point of the season, that fall off has been dramatic, as he now sits at number 27, while Rodriguez is just inches behind at 32.
Their production, though, hasn’t been miles apart, with Merritt’s edge early in the season on the depth chart separating them in raw numbers, as they average roughly the same yards per carry and production value.
Against the Vikings, though, neither player was able to make a major impact. A completely one-sided affair saw Minnesota win 31-0, with Rodriguez finishing with 10 carries and 52 yards, while Bill got seven carries and added 32 yards to the tally.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.Â
