The Washington Commanders have moved on from Jerome Ford, ending a brief and ultimately uneventful stint that never really got off the ground.
According to the NFL’s transaction wire, Washington released the veteran running back with an injury settlement after he suffered a hamstring issue during training camp. That injury effectively closed the door on a roster battle that was already slipping away from him.
Ford arrived with some real intrigue after his time with the Cleveland Browns faded once the AFC North team drafted Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. Washington gave him a chance to carve out a role, and there was at least a sliver of opportunity for him to make noise after a solid offseason. But outside of a few short flashes at OTAs, he never managed to seize momentum.
The backfield picture in Washington moved on without him. Jacory Croskey-Merritt and free-agent addition Rachaad White emerged as the top two options, and both are expected to fit well in offensive coordinator David Blough’s system.
Sixth-round rookie Kaytron Allen has also brought a physical edge that could matter, while Jeremy McNichols has held his spot as a trusted leader and special-teams piece. Undrafted free agent Robert Henry Jr. has also turned heads.
Ford, meanwhile, stayed quiet. He got just one carry in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins, a sign of where things stood. Once the injury hit, the Commanders had a straightforward call to make.
There simply wasn’t room for a player who wasn’t forcing his way into the picture. Washington has too much on the line to carry passengers, and Ford’s career path hasn’t matched the early promise he flashed when his explosiveness once made him look like a potential star.
Now the focus shifts to what comes next for the 2022 fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati. First, he has to get healthy.
Hamstring injuries can linger, but at least the release gives him time to recover. The bigger issue is staying visible in a league that can move on fast.
His exit may not have been a surprise. Ford likely would have been in danger during final cuts anyway, and the injury just accelerated the process. With him gone, the shape of Washington’s Week 1 backfield is much clearer.
Croskey-Merritt, White, Allen, and McNichols, if healthy, appear set. Henry will keep pushing, though a practice-squad spot may be the best outcome for him and recent arrival Craig Reynolds. For Ford, the next move will have to come quickly, or the league may start looking elsewhere for good.
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Harris had one year left on his contract, which is what makes the decision feel like more than a routine roster churn move. The bigger question now is whether his time in Washington is simply over or whether he can land somewhere else and prove the Commanders moved on faster than they needed to, especially with the starting job conversation already looking shaky before the release. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Is Taking Washingtons Offense Into A Dangerous New Phase
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It is the kind of shift that can make an offense harder to defend, but only if everyone around Daniels is ready for the same level of detail. Washington is still working through issues up front, and the addition of Stefon Diggs gives the unit another piece to deploy as it tries to become more versatile and more dangerous. For now, the bigger question is how quickly all those moving parts can mesh once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]