Jeremy McNichols’ injury has quickly become one of the more important backfield storylines for Washington, because it opens the door wider for the rookies trying to force their way onto the Commanders’ roster.
Head coach Dan Quinn said Sunday that McNichols will be sidelined for a while after suffering a quad injury. McNichols had already missed all of last week because of the issue, and Quinn made it clear the veteran won’t be ready any time soon.
“Jeremy will be out for a few weeks. He’s got a pretty good quad injury, so he will not be back in for this week.
And you’ll see him off to the side, working some rehab, in that spot. But he’s got a pretty good quad injury that will take a few weeks for sure.”
That absence matters because McNichols has done enough over the last two seasons to keep himself in the mix. In 2024 and 2025, he stood out in camp with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, handle pass protection, and contribute on both return and coverage units. Those traits helped him land on the 53-man roster in both years.
This year, though, the competition looks different. McNichols is another year older - he turns 31 in December - and Washington has added four new running backs to the room. The Commanders brought in Jerome Ford and Rachaad White in free agency, then added Penn State’s Kaytron Allen in the draft and Robert Henry Jr. as an undrafted signing.
Allen and Henry made their first preseason push count on Friday night. In the opener, Allen ran for 85 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown, while also avoiding a single negative-yard carry.
Henry was even more explosive in spots, ripping off a 15-yard run before finishing with a 22-yard touchdown. By the end of his first NFL preseason game, he had 75 yards on just 12 carries.
With McNichols out again, both rookies should get a heavier workload this week. On Saturday, Allen and Henry are positioned to handle most of the snaps and carries again in the second preseason game of 2026.
That leaves the last running back job on Washington’s roster looking very much like one of the preseason battles worth watching closely.
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