When the Washington Commanders entered the 2024 season, the national media was hyper-fixated on one thing: Jayden Daniels. Everyone wanted to know if the rookie quarterback could survive the transition from the SEC to the big leagues. But if you actually watched the games—I mean really sat down and watched the tape—you’d know that the engine of that offense wasn't just a 210-pound kid from LSU. It was the bruising, surprisingly deep rotation of the Commanders running backs 2024 unit that basically kept the ship afloat.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild how overlooked this group was initially. People saw a veteran on the tail end of his career and a power back who had just survived a literal shooting, and they wrote them off as a "committee of necessity."
They were wrong.
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The Thunder and Lightning Fallacy
The "Thunder and Lightning" cliche is used way too often in football, but for the Commanders running backs 2024, it actually fit—sorta. You had Brian Robinson Jr. playing the role of the hammer. Robinson finished the year with 187 carries for 799 yards and 8 touchdowns. Those aren't "Pro Bowl starter" numbers on paper, but he missed three games. When he was on the field, he was a problem. Over 420 of those yards came after contact. That’s essentially Robinson refusing to die on every single play.
Then you had the Austin Ekeler experiment.
When Washington signed Ekeler, half the fantasy football world cried "washed." And yeah, his 367 rushing yards won't make anyone forget his prime years in LA. But his impact wasn't about the ground game; it was about the 521 yards he racked up after the catch. He finished seventh among all NFL backs in that category despite battling two concussions during the season.
He was the safety valve Daniels needed.
Why the Depth Chart Actually Mattered
Most teams fall apart when their RB1 goes down. Washington didn't. When Robinson was out, Jeremy McNichols stepped up in a way that honestly nobody predicted. The "McWeapon," as some folks call him, was basically a journeyman before landing in D.C.
He turned 55 carries into 261 yards. That’s 4.8 yards per clip.
- Week 4 against Arizona: 8 carries, 68 yards, 2 touchdowns.
- Week 5 against Cleveland: 7 carries, 44 yards, 1 touchdown.
It wasn't just luck. It was Kliff Kingsbury’s scheme utilizing the specific burst McNichols has. He wasn't trying to be Brian Robinson. He was just hitting the hole at a hundred miles an hour and daring safeties to tackle him in the open field.
The Jayden Daniels Factor
We can’t talk about the Commanders running backs 2024 without talking about the guy taking the snaps. Jayden Daniels actually led the team in rushing with 891 yards. Think about that. A rookie quarterback out-rushed every single specialist on the roster.
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This changed everything for the backs.
When a defense has to account for a QB who can rip off a 46-yard run at any second, they can’t stack the box against the running back. It created these massive lanes for Chris Rodriguez Jr., who averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his limited action. Rodriguez is a guy who just runs through people. He’s not shifty. He’s not particularly fast. But in an offense where the defense is terrified of the QB, a power back like Rodriguez becomes a nightmare.
The Achilles Heel of the Season
It wasn't all sunshine. The 2024 campaign ended with a bit of a "what if" vibe. Austin Ekeler’s season eventually ended with a ruptured Achilles, which forced the team to pivot hard toward their younger guys.
The Commanders finished fourth in the league in rushing yards per game (134.7), which is impressive considering the revolving door at the position. But the lack of a true "bell cow" who could stay healthy for 17 games meant the offense lacked a certain rhythm in the postseason. They were eventually bounced by the Eagles in the NFC Championship, a game where the run game just couldn't find its footing against a stout Philly front.
Moving Parts and the 2025 Transition
Looking back, 2024 was a bridge. It was the year Washington proved they could run the ball regardless of who was in the backfield. Brian Robinson Jr. eventually moved on to the 49ers for the 2025 season, leaving a massive void.
But it paved the way for Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
If 2024 taught the Commanders anything, it’s that their system—built on RPO (Run-Pass Option) and heavy motion—can turn a seventh-round pick into a star. Croskey-Merritt eventually took the lessons from Robinson and Ekeler and turned them into an 805-yard rookie season of his own in 2025.
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Actionable Insights for the Future
If you’re looking at how this backfield was built and what it means for the team moving forward, keep these points in mind:
- Don't overvalue rushing yards: Ekeler proved that a running back's value in a modern offense is often tied to what they do after the catch, not just between the tackles.
- The "Dual Starter" philosophy is real: Washington moved away from the "RB1 and RB2" mindset. They viewed Robinson and Ekeler as co-starters with different skill sets. This is likely the blueprint for the David Blough era as well.
- Watch the UDFA and late-rounders: Between McNichols’ resurgence and Croskey-Merritt’s emergence, the Commanders have shown they can find rushing production in the bargain bin.
- Quarterback mobility is the best lead blocker: The rushing success of 2024 was a direct result of the gravity Jayden Daniels created. Without him, those 4.8 YPC averages likely drop to 3.9 or 4.0.
The 2024 season was the most exciting year of Washington football in a decade. While the names in the backfield are already changing, the identity they established—aggressive, versatile, and deep—is what turned the Commanders from a bottom-feeder into a legitimate NFC contender. Keep an eye on how the team handles the restricted free agency of Chris Rodriguez Jr. this offseason; his return would provide the much-needed continuity this room needs as they look to get over the hump.