The Washington Commanders are targeting a running back on the free agent market. It’s simple math. Only Jakoli Krosky-Merritt is under contract through 2026. Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols are unrestricted free agents, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a restricted free agent. Ekeler is not expected to return.
It’s reasonable to expect Rodriguez to return in 2026. Every time Washington called his number, he delivered. The team loves Mike Nichols. He’s versatile, plays special teams well, and is also very good in pass protection. But commanders need more. Matthew Berry of NBC Sports said the GMs are looking to have a “heavy hitter” at primary, with Krosky-Merritt serving more of a secondary role.
I’m told Washington’s GM “wants a slugger,” and by that I mean a true early star running back. They felt like the running game struggled last year after Austin Ekeler went down. They thought Chris Rodriguez was a good back but didn’t like what he did in the passing game, and they clearly saw something in Jakoli Kroski-Merritt (aka Bill) but considered him more of a “2 or 3” than a true lead back. My guess is that Washington’s leading running back in touches next year is not currently on their roster.
One NFL analyst hopes Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III ends up in Washington. The Super Bowl MVP is expected to receive the biggest contract on the market for a running back. For one, he’s young (25), productive, has relatively low mileage, and is a factor in the passing game (133 catches in four seasons).
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NFL.com’s Nick Shook recently previewed Walker’s free agency and pointed to Commander as one of his potential landing spots.
Washington has a ton of cap space heading into 2026 ($72.3 million) and plenty of needs on both sides of the ball. After watching Austin Ekeler suffer a season-ending non-contact injury early in the season and relying on rookies Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr. to combine for 1,305 rushing yards and 14 rushing scores, one might believe the Commanders are in a good position. That’s not entirely inaccurate, but in a season where everything is being done to improve the roster, Washington should at least explore a potential partnership with Walker. There’s no question that Jayden Daniels could use a threat like Walker next to him, especially after Daniels’ health issues caused him to miss 10 games during his sophomore season. Dan Quinn and Co. should at least give themselves and the Washington fan base a thought, especially after they far exceeded expectations in 2025.
Pursuing Walker would be huge for Washington. Adding him to the offense behind Jayden Daniels in 2026 is an exciting proposition. But the Commanders could go a little cheaper and sign Tyler Allgaier of the Atlanta Falcons and use the saved money to repair the roster elsewhere.
Regardless, Washington’s 2026 starting running back is currently not on the roster.
This article originally appeared on Commander’s Wire: Washington Commander: Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker a potential signing
