Rachaad White’s missing practice time finally has a clear explanation, and it’s not the kind of thing that should send the Washington Commanders into a panic.
NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday that White tweaked his hamstring during Washington’s joint practice with the Miami Dolphins. Garafolo also noted that White “worked out prior to Friday’s game” and that the injury is “not considered serious or long-term.”
That matters because White had sat out multiple practice sessions this week, and the silence around his status started creating its own buzz. The latest update cuts through all of that: this is a minor soft-tissue issue, not something that appears to threaten his availability for the regular season.
The speculation got extra noisy because White was shown Monday in the Commanders’ ALS ice bucket challenge video. Washington put the clip together in honor of former NFL running back Chris Johnson, who has been diagnosed with ALS. Running backs coach Anthony Lynn coached Johnson earlier in his career, which is why the position group took part.
In the video, players jump up after being doused with ice water, and White lands awkwardly. When he then missed the next two practices, some people started connecting the dots, including analyst Warren Sharp, who questioned the timing. Garafolo’s reporting settles that: the hamstring tweak happened in the Dolphins joint practice, not during the charity moment.
For Washington, the timing is the only real issue here. White is a new piece in the backfield, and the team would obviously prefer to keep him on the field as it figures out how the rotation should look. But the report that he worked out before Friday’s preseason game against Miami is a strong sign the Commanders are not treating this as a major setback.
Washington brought White in during free agency this offseason after four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to ClutchPoints. He signed a one-year deal worth up to $2 million, including $1.715 million guaranteed and a $400,000 signing bonus, with incentives layered in.
The fit made sense from the start. White and quarterback Jayden Daniels were teammates at Arizona State, and White brings a receiving element to the offense that Washington’s backfield can use. In four seasons with Tampa Bay, he totaled 205 catches for 1,450 yards and 11 touchdowns, while also running for 2,656 yards and 14 scores on 677 carries.
His most recent season showed that dual-threat value again. White played in all 17 games, started eight, and finished with 572 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 132 carries. He added 40 receptions for 218 yards.
Washington’s backfield picture still points toward a shared workload. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who led the Commanders’ running backs with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries as a seventh-round rookie in 2025, is expected to handle the early-down and short-yardage work. White’s passing-game ability suggests he’ll be more of the third-down and change-of-pace option.
There’s depth behind them, too. Jeremy McNichols, Jerome Ford, rookie Kaytron Allen and Robert Henry Jr. are all in the mix, giving head coach Dan Quinn options if White needs a lighter workload during camp.
For now, the important part is simple: White’s hamstring issue is being described as minor, and he was able to work out before Friday’s game. The bigger conversation in Washington is how White and Croskey-Merritt eventually split the backfield duties once the games count for real.
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