The Washington Commanders lost their first free agent of the offseason. The Wizards must offer restricted free agent Chris Rodriguez Jr. a contract before the start of the new league year, which begins Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. The Commanders chose not to offer Rodriguez a contract, which allowed him to sign with a new team immediately.
It didn’t take long for Rodriguez to find his new team. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Rodriguez to a two-year, $10 million contract on Wednesday. Rodriguez, a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, spent three seasons with the Commanders, appearing in 35 games with seven starts, rushing for 920 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 4.6 yards per attempt.
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Last season, Rodriguez rushed for a career-high 500 yards and six touchdowns as a member of Washington’s committee of running backs.
Rodriguez will reunite with Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen in Jacksonville. While Rodriguez was an All-SEC running back at Kentucky, Cohen served as his offensive coordinator in 2021. Jacksonville lost running back Travis Etienne in free agency, and Rodriguez will join a backfield featuring Bashur Tuten.
As for Washington, the only running back under contract through 2026 is Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols are unrestricted free agents. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Commanders bring McNichols back for a third season. Washington still must add to its backfield, and former Buccaneers running back Rachaad White is a name to keep an eye on. Commanders may also target Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. signs with Jaguars