The Washington Commanders had extensive work to do this offseason after finishing with an unfortunate 5-12 record. Washington has been doing that, mostly adding to the defense, but slowly, the offense is also getting its fair share of attention, especially with the weapons.
The Commanders continue to upgrade the pieces around star quarterback Jayden Daniels by signing his former college teammate, running back Rachaad White.
Commanders Sign RB Rachaad White To Upgrade Worrisome Rushing Attack
Last season, the Commanders had issues across the roster, but one area where it really showed was at running back. Looking at PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who led the team in rush attempts, was ranked 27th overall, and Chris Rodriguez Jr. ranked 17th.
This was not good enough going into next season, and after Rodriguez left in free agency for the Jacksonville Jaguars, a player was required to be added. Most of the top free agent RBs are already off the board, so the options were limited, but the Commanders have landed on White, who previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The #Commanders have agreed to terms with RB Rachaad White, source says. pic.twitter.com/qWMTTvLLtL
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 12, 2026
From 2020-21, White and Daniels both played for Arizona State, which could have been a major reason for this signing. White was picked by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and in his four years there, he never lived up to those draft expectations, but his 2023 season was a standout.
That season, White was tied with Christian McCaffrey for the second-most rushing attempts in the league, and his PFSN RB Impact Metric ranking was 24th.
The Commanders could still look for an RB in the draft, especially with Jeremiyah Love potentially being available at pick No. 7, but for now, the veteran is a good addition to a weak room. Maybe with familiarity with Daniels, White could have a resurgence in his career, and at 27, there is still time to make that happen.
If the Commanders don’t add a running back in the draft, White will compete with Croskey-Merritt for the RB1 role in Washington. If the young RB cannot take a significant step forward as a sophomore, White could become the starter.
With Daniels coming back from his injury-filled second season in the NFL, the Commanders have to make this team around him much better because their star QB’s contract extension is looming, and Washington will not have the same flexibility when that happens. On offense, some work definitely still needs to be done, especially at WR and potentially RB.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
