Washington’s backfield is shaping up as one of the more intriguing camp battles to watch, and the early read is clear: Bill Merritt and Rachaad White are both going to get their chances.
That didn’t look like the path many expected before the 2026 NFL Draft. There was plenty of buzz around Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love, especially with ESPN’s John Keim reporting that “(Dan Quinn) made it clear during meetings last season that he wanted to run the ball more, according to multiple team sources.
And he discussed it after the season as well.” Love went No. 3 overall to the Cardinals, and Washington waited until the sixth round to take Penn State back Kaytron Allen.
Allen has impressed in offseason work, but he should open the year as more of a complementary piece behind Merritt and White.
Merritt is coming off a strong rookie season, one that gave Washington plenty to build on. He ran for 805 yards and eight touchdowns, added 68 receiving yards, and averaged 4.6 yards per carry.
The burst and vision showed up right away, and now he enters his second NFL season looking like a player who used the offseason well. He’s also trying to round out his game, especially as a receiver and in ball security, because that’s where his role could really expand.
He’s been leaning on White for help there.
“Rachaad, he’s been a great teammate,” Croskey-Merritt said. “He’s very smooth catching the ball.
So, I’m gaining knowledge from Rachaad with the receiving stuff. He’s been open arms to me, just teaching me how he does it, how he moves.
So it’s been a blessing for him to come be in the backfield with me.”
White brings a very different kind of résumé to the mix. Since the Buccaneers picked him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, he’s piled up more than 4,000 scrimmage yards and 25 touchdowns in four seasons.
His totals include 2,656 rushing yards and 14 rushing scores, plus 1,450 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches. He has also averaged 4.3 yards per carry in each of his last two seasons, even with questions still hanging around his vision and overall consistency.
Now he’s in Washington on a one-year deal and clearly has something to prove.
He’s already made a strong first impression. Dan Quinn singled White out during his minicamp wrap-up, and did it without being prompted.
When Quinn listed eight players who stood out this spring, he mentioned White four times. He pointed to White’s place in the team culture and called him a strong teammate.
Around the league, that has already started to fuel talk that White could be an underrated signing, one who might fill - and maybe even top - Austin Ekeler’s old role. Some observers from White’s previous team have also taken notice, with one writer suggesting he could be in line for a 1,000-yard season.
The Commanders may end up leaning on both backs, but the bigger question is whether either one can become the kind of dual-threat option this offense needs. Blough is expected to work parts of Ben Johnson’s scheme into the mix, and that system puts a premium on explosion, versatility, and backs who can truly threaten defenses as receivers in motion and on screens. That’s the standard in front of Merritt and White now.
So the battle is set. The question is which one, if either, becomes the back who pushes Washington’s offense to its full potential in 2026.
In Other News...
Commanders Backfield Crunch Could Force Adam Peters Into An Early Move
The Commanders entered the summer with a backfield that suddenly looks crowded, and Jerome Ford is part of the reason why. After the offseason additions, Washington has more running backs than obvious roster spots, which has turned training camp into an early sorting exercise for Adam Peters and the front office. Ford was brought in as part of that mix, but he is now sitting low enough on the depth chart that his name has already started surfacing in trade chatter.
That kind of surplus usually forces a team to make a choice before final cuts, whether it means moving a player, keeping him as insurance, or risking a release. Washington also has other backs competing for the same limited room, so the next few weeks could reveal whether the Commanders see Ford as a useful depth piece or as an asset they can turn into something else before the roster gets trimmed. [Read more 🡒]
What New Coordinator Sees In Jayden Daniels Should Matter To Commanders Fans
Jayden Daniels enters the 2026 season with a different kind of pressure on his shoulders, and David Blough thinks that matters. Washingtons offensive coordinator said Daniels was frustrated with how 2025 unfolded after the high standard he set the year before, but also made it clear the quarterback has not been dwelling on it. Instead, Daniels has leaned into the new offensive system and the fresh concepts that come with it, a sign the Commanders are hoping his next step comes as much from mindset as talent.
Bloughs read on Daniels is the part Washington fans will want to keep an eye on, because the transition is not just about terminology or play design. The offense is expected to look different this year, and Daniels appears to be adapting well to what the staff is asking of him. If that progress holds, the Commanders could be looking at a quarterback who is not only motivated to answer for last season, but also positioned to do it in a scheme that fits him better. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Already Feared How This Tyler Biadasz Move Could Age
Tyler Biadaszs exit from Washington was always going to be one of those moves judged in real time, and the early returns from Los Angeles are the sort that make a decision age quickly. After being released by the Commanders, Biadasz landed with the Chargers and has reportedly settled in well, drawing positive reviews from the coaching staff during early offseason workouts as he gets acclimated to a new system.
For Washington, the center spot now shifts to Nick Allegretti and rookie Matt Gulbin, a combination that puts the focus squarely on how the line holds up without the veteran presence Biadasz provided. If he keeps trending up with the Chargers, the conversation around the Commanders choice to move on from him is only going to get louder, especially with the position still in the middle of its own reset. [Read more 🡒]