Washington Commanders News

Free-agent cornerback Rasul Douglas is planning to sign a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders for up to $3.8 million, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 30-year-old veteran signed with the Miami Dolphins last year and played in 15 games, recording 62 tackles (37 solo), one sack, two interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He was moved into the starting lineup in Week 1 after an injury to Storm Duck, and by season's end, he had established himself as Miami's best cornerback. Douglas missed two games with ankle and foot injuries, but he returned in Week 13 and had interceptions in two straight games. He was named the AFC's Defensive Player of the Week after breaking up five passes and picking off a pass in Week 14 against the division-rival New York Jets. Douglas allowed 54 catches for 515 yards and three TDs on the year. He'll bring plenty of experience to D.C., having started 93 games for five teams during his nine-year NFL career.

Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo has long displayed the occasional flash of game-breaking athleticism, but since coming into the league as a fourth-round pick out of Maryland, he's rarely been part of an offense equipped to make use of those abilities. That may no longer be the case in 2026. After leading the Titans in receptions and yards in his final season in Tennessee, Okonkwo signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Commanders, and under first-time offensive coordinator David Blough, he could become a featured piece of a Washington offense looking to put last season's injury-riddled struggles behind them. Blough is expected to adopt elements of the Ben Johnson offense he was part of as backup quarterback in Detroit; the same offense that led to a TE1 finish from rookie Sam LaPorta in 2023 and now has the Bears' Colston Loveland knocking on the door of the position's top tier. With the wide receiver depth chart notably thin behind two-time Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin, Okonkwo could easily step in as the number two option in the passing game, inheriting a role that saw veteran Zach Ertz earn a 19% target share across his 30 games with the team. Currently being drafted as the TE17, Okonkwo is a late-round sleeper with both the ability and opportunity to produce legitimate TE1 upside in 2026.

Following a lengthy contract dispute that carried well into August, Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was unable to simply flip the switch for the start of the 2025 season, spending the first few weeks reacclimating to the speed of the game after sitting out for much of training camp before suffering a significant quadriceps injury in Week 3 and missing seven of the team's next eight games. With his own injury aligning unfortunately against those of second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, the two played only two complete games together and were unable to build on the immediate connection they made in 2024. While a repeat of his career-best 13-touchdown performance was always viewed as an unlikely outcome, and McLaurin was already pegged as a regression candidate heading into the year, the Commanders' disastrous 2025 season has potentially swung the pendulum too far in the other direction, making him one of 2026's best potential values. An emphasis on an under-center passing game in new offensive coordinator David Blough's first season at the controls should lead to more explosive play opportunities, and with McLaurin still standing head and shoulders above a receiver room whose secondary option could be third-round rookie Antonio Williams, he figures to be the primary benefactor. Only one injury-riddled season removed from his WR6 finish of 2024, McLaurin is currently being drafted as the WR23, making him one of the higher-upside picks outside the opening rounds of 2026 drafts.

Wide receiver Treylon Burks never could live up to his first-round potential when the Tennessee Titans took him 18th overall in 2022 out of the University of Arkansas, as he caught 53 of 92 targets for 699 yards and only one touchdown in 27 games (17 starts) in his first three years in the league. The Titans eventually released the 26-year-old, and the Washington Commanders took a flier on him as they searched for WR depth behind Terry McLaurin. Burks had only 10 catches for 130 yards and one touchdown on 22 targets in eight games (three starts) in his first year in D.C. in 2025, but there were flashes of why he was considered a first-round target. Deebo Samuel Sr. won't be back in free agency, and the Commanders are still searching for depth behind McLaurin. Might Burks be that guy? NFL.com's Nick Shook suggests that a full offseason of stability could serve Burks well as he heads into Year 2 in Washington. If the Commanders don't add a big name at WR before the start of the 2026 season, Burks might be the best bet to emerge as the WR2 behind McLaurin.

The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala is intrigued by the prospect of the Washington Commanders adding veteran free-agent wide receiver Curtis Samuel before the start of training camp this summer. It's obvious that Washington needs WR depth behind WR1 Terry McLaurin, which is why they've been heavily linked to San Francisco 49ers disgruntled wideout Brandon Aiyuk (knee) all offseason. The risk with Samuel is his durability, as he's dealt with a string of injuries throughout his NFL career and has been active for only two full seasons in his nine years in the league. But the 29-year-old is still a free agent after the Buffalo Bills released him in March, and he's reportedly fully healthy. Samuel played in D.C. from 2021 through 2023, is close with McLaurin, and is familiar with WRs coach Bobby Engram. Samuel isn't exactly an ideal WR2, but he's versatile and has nine years of NFL experience. He played in just six games for Buffalo last year and caught seven of his nine targets for 81 yards and one touchdown, and he had just one TD in 14 games (two starts) the year before with the Bills.

Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott was a popular sleeper pick after being drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but through two years in the league, he's caught only 16 passes for 142 yards. While the final four games of his second season saw the most sustained involvement of his young career, following the season-ending ACL injury to veteran Zach Ertz, that usage uptick still amounted to only 1.8 catches, 18.3 yards, and 2.7 fantasy points per game. With an opening at the top of the depth chart heading into the 2026 league year, calls for a Sinnott breakout briefly resurfaced but were quickly silenced when the team signed former Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo to a three-year, $27 million deal in the opening hours of free agency. Already an early adopter of the league's growing trend toward multi-tight end usage, the Commanders could lean even further in that direction with first time offensive coordinator David Blough expected to borrow elements from the Ben Johnson offense he ran as a backup quarterback in Detroit, but veteran John Bates remains with the team and could continue to see the field ahead of Sinnott due to what he provides as a blocker. Still only 24 years old, the athletic tight end out of Kansas State wouldn't be the first of his position to see slow development before a third-year breakout, but Sinnott has fallen to RotoBaller's dynasty TE54 ahead of what is likely a make-or-break 2026 season.

Washington Commanders rookie running back Kaytron Allen was one of the more productive running backs in college football during his time at Penn State, recording over 2,600 scrimmage yards and 25 touchdowns over his final two seasons for the Nittany Lions. However, Allen fell to the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Despite the draft day slide, Allen could have a chance to earn consistent playing time in the Commanders' backfield as a rookie. Between Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols, and Jerome Ford, Washington has several capable backs for Allen to compete with. However, none of the Commanders' rushers other than Croskey-Merritt and Allen profiles as particularly high upside options. Allen's fantasy profile comes with some risk, as there's a chance he falls out of the Washington backfield rotation completely. However, the current lack of an obvious RB1 for the Commanders makes Allen an appealing dart-throw in the late rounds of redraft leagues.

Following a rash of injuries, the Washington Commanders elevated wide receiver Treylon Burks from the practice squad to the active roster for eight of the final nine games of the 2025 season. While he made only 10 catches over that time, he showed enough to earn another one-year prove-it deal from the team in free agency, and with one of the thinnest depth charts in the league behind locked-in starter Terry McLaurin, Burks has a chance to carve out a meaningful role in his fifth professional season. 2025 fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane caught only 16 passes as a rookie, but the Commanders selected Antonio Williams in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and are expecting larger contributions from third-year professional Luke McCaffrey, who was beginning to pick up steam before a broken collarbone ended his sophomore campaign. At 6'2" and 225 pounds, Burks offers a different body type from the rest of the room, but despite a highlight-worthy primetime touchdown grab for the Commanders last season, he's found the end zone only three times in his career. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR140, the door is not completely shut for a fantasy revival, but even as part of a muddied depth chart, Burks' underwhelming history makes him little more than an unexciting stash.

Following four seasons with the Washington Commanders and a 14-catch, 229-yard postseason run in 2024, wide receiver Dyami Brown signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025, but after a disappointing 20-catch, 227-yard performance, he has reunited with Washington on another one-year deal. Terry McLaurin and Luke McCaffrey are familiar faces from his last stint with the team, but the Commanders have spent third and fourth-round picks on Antonio Williams and Jaylin Lane in the past two drafts, while adding tight end Chig Okonkwo and running back Rachaad White as free agents in 2026. Still far from the league's most talented group of pass catchers, the Commanders' depth is notably stronger than what Brown faced in 2024 when he served as the team's third receiver behind Olamide Zaccheaus. Turning 27 this season, the sixth-year veteran has topped 300 yards only once and never bested two touchdowns or a WR99 finish, and at RotoBaller's dynasty WR131, Brown is not a player who needs to be rostered.

After a quiet final season in Cleveland that saw him run for only 73 yards in 13 games before ending the year on injured reserve, running back Jerome Ford signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal with the Washington Commanders and could now find himself fighting for a roster spot. While the Commanders' running back room is not bursting with talent, it has become a deep group with a wide variety of skill sets. Jacory Croskey-Merritt led the team with 873 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2025, and the team added pass-catching specialist Rachaad White in free agency before spending a 6th-round pick on Penn State's all-time leading rusher, Kaytron Allen. Ford has shown efficiency as a runner and is an underrated receiver; although he does not excel in any one area, his versatility could be key to earning a role on gamedays. Unfortunately, projecting no higher than the third or fourth running back on a team that will also see a fair share of rushing yards claimed by quarterback Jayden Daniels, the soon-to-be 27-year-old Ford has become a depreciating dynasty asset and a potential drop candidate.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey is falling on the depth chart after an unimpressive sophomore campaign. McCaffrey was off to a solid start to the season, but a broken collarbone cut his season short. He finished with 11 receptions for 203 receiving yards and three touchdowns in nine games last season. The former third-round pick has fewer than 30 receptions and less than 400 receiving yards during his first two years in the league. The Commanders brought in Dyami Brown, Van Jefferson, and drafted Antonio Williams during this year's draft. There's more competition now, and McCaffrey hasn't done enough to push himself ahead of those players on the depth chart. The 25-year-old could very well get lost in the shuffle and is someone who doesn't need to be rostered in dynasty formats anymore.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued second year in the NFL in 2025, said he has a "long way to go" as he attempts to master the new system of offensive coordinator David Blough, according to John Keim of ESPN. It is the second offensive system that Daniels has had to learn in his first three NFL seasons. Daniels has looked comfortable with his footwork while operating more under center, but he still has plenty to work on. A sprained knee and hamstring and a dislocated left elbow limited him to just seven games in his sophomore campaign, a big change from when he was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 while helping the team to a 12-5 record and its first appearance in the NFC Championship game since 1991. Daniels threw for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while rushing for 891 yards and six more TDs on the ground. If the former second overall pick out of Louisiana State University can stay on the field in 2026, he's an obvious high-end bounce-back candidate at the QB position. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 3 QB for 2026, behind only Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

The NFL Network's Mike Garafolo says that new Washington Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough's offense should suit running back Rachaad White well in 2026. White's name came up a few times during Garafolo's visit to the Commanders' mandatory minicamp on Wednesday. The 27-year-old signed a one-year deal with Washington back in March, and although second-year back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is the obvious choice to lead the team's backfield after he led the team in rushing in his rookie campaign in 2025, White will have his chance to compete for a bigger role that he had behind Bucky Irving in Tampa Bay over the last couple of seasons. In his four years with the Bucs, White averaged 3.9 yards per carry and had 2,656 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, adding 205 receptions for 1,450 yards and 11 receiving TDs. Head coach Dan Quinn has been impressed with White's abilities as a pass-catcher during offseason practices, something that Croskey-Merritt needs to work on. At the very least, White will be an RB3/flex sleeper in PPR leagues, with the potential for an even bigger role if JCM takes a step back in Year 2.

Commanders.com's Zach Selby writes that Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn likes the competition in the running back room during offseason workouts. Quinn mentioned Rachaad White specifically and his ability as a pass-catcher. It's unclear yet if there will be one designated starter, but multiple players will play a part in the team's rushing attack in 2026. Second-year back Jacory Croskey-Merritt could be the odds-on-favorite for lead-back duties in D.C. after leading the squad with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries in 17 games (seven starts) in his rookie campaign. However, the 25-year-old needs to work on his pass protection (he only caught nine passes for 68 yards) and his ball security in order to do so. Meanwhile, White has the most experience as a dual-threat back in the NFL, even if he has averaged under 4.0 yards per carry as a ball-carrier in his four years in the league. In PPR leagues, White will be a sneaky RB3/flex target with upside in his new digs, although his ADP could rise quickly if he begins to gain more steam over Croskey-Merritt in training camp this summer.

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (undisclosed), who missed voluntary organized team activities due to an undisclosed soft-tissue injury, returned to practice on Tuesday, according to John Keim of ESPN. While Croskey-Merritt has the clearest path to the RB1 role in Washington in 2026 in his second year in the NFL, head coach Dan Quinn has mentioned that the former seventh-rounder out of the University of Arizona needs to show what he can do in pass protection, among other areas. The 25-year-old could also stand to improve his ball security going into Year 2 as he looks to hold off Rachaad White, Jerome Ford, rookie Kaytron Allen, and Jeremy McNichols. Croskey-Merritt averaged 4.6 yards per carry for a team-high 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries in 2025 in his rookie campaign, but he barely contributed as a pass-catcher with only nine receptions for 68 yards in 17 games (seven starts). Bill's role as the clear lead back in D.C. isn't solidified yet, but he's the best fantasy target in the Commanders' backfield in 2026 as an RB3/flex with upside, primarily in standard-scoring formats.

When the Washington Commanders selected wide receiver Antonio Williams in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, he landed on one of the thinner depth charts in the league with a chance to learn from one of the greatest to ever play his position. The Commanders hired four-time All-Pro receiver Wes Welker as a personnel analyst in 2025 and have made him an offensive assistant for the 2026 season. With Williams expected to operate primarily out of the slot, as he did in college, Welker's guidance could become invaluable after collecting more than 900 receptions in a 12-year career as arguably the most respected slot receiver in the league. New offensive coordinator David Blough is expected to run a variant of the Ben Johnson offense he was a part of as the Lions' backup quarterback, and even if that means a move toward more heavy personnel packages with fewer receivers on the field, the Commanders lack every-down mainstays outside of veteran Terry McLaurin. At 5'11" and 190 pounds, Williams is a willing blocker, and while his more natural position remains at the slot, he'll need to beat out only Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, and Treylon Burks to earn an early role in two-receiver sets.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels followed up his 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year-winning season with a disappointing, injury-marred campaign in 2025. Now heading into his third season with improved weaponry and a new offensive scheme, Daniels has potentially become one of the best bargains in dynasty. The Commanders have added tight end Chig Okonkwo, running back Rachaad White, and third-round rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams to round out an offense that expects to have two-time Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin back at full health after missing seven games in 2025. With new offensive coordinator David Blough borrowing elements from the Ben Johnson system that he ran as a backup quarterback in Detroit, Daniels is expected to spend more time under center, which should open up the passing game without diminishing what he can do with his legs. A year after coming off the board as early as first overall in some superflex dynasty startups, Daniels has fallen to RotoBaller's dynasty QB3, but is a good bet to work his way back into the QB1 conversation if he can stay healthy in 2026.

Zach Selby of Commanders.com writes that new running back Rachaad White is one of several RBs in the Washington Commanders' committee approach to the backfield heading into the 2026 season. White, a third-rounder by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022 out of Arizona State, was relegated to a backup role behind Bucky Irving in the second half of his rookie deal. The 27-year-old has mostly been lauded as a pass-catcher in his four-year NFL career, having hauled in 205 passes (230 targets) for 1,450 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns in 67 total games (48 starts) with the Bucs. White said that Washington's RB room is "loaded" with players who can fit different roles. Second-year back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has the best chance to become the Commanders' lead back, with White as the primary pass-catcher. However, the team also has Jerome Ford, Jeremy McNichols, and rookie Kaytron Allen fighting for roles. White will probably only be worth considering as a late-round option for depth at the RB position in point-per-reception formats in 2026 in his first year in D.C. RotoBaller has White ranked as the No. 41 RB in PPR setups, just two spots in front of Croskey-Merritt.

Washington Commanders second-year running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who has missed some offseason work due to a soft-tissue injury, has the best chance to become the team's lead back in 2026, according to Zach Selby of Commanders.com. Croskey-Merritt, also known as Bill, has "quickness on the outside and has enough burst to run through creases at the line of scrimmage." The 25-year-old rushed for 805 yards in 2025, third in his draft class, and added eight touchdowns on 175 carries over 17 games (seven starts). JCM must still improve in pass protection, but he showed plenty of patience and decisiveness as a ball-carrier despite not being taken until the seventh round in the 2025 NFL draft. Croskey-Merritt was used sparingly as a pass-catcher as a rookie, hauling in nine passes on just 13 targets for 68 yards. Newcomer Rachaad White will most likely operate as Washington's primary pass-catching back, with Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols providing veteran depth. Ball security was another issue for JCM as a rookie, and if those issues resurface in Year 2, he could quickly lose touches to White, Ford, and McNichols. Fantasy managers should consider Croskey-Merritt as an RB3/4 with upside if he proves himself more in passing situations.

According to Ben Standig of Last Man Standig, Washington Commanders second-year running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (undisclosed) is missing valuable repetitions during organized team activities this offseason due to a soft-tissue injury. It's unclear what exactly Croskey-Merritt is dealing with or whether he'll be ready to return for the team's mandatory minicamp that runs from June 16-18. Bill has the opportunity to become Washington's clear lead back in Year 2 in 2026, but to do so, he'll need to improve his ball security and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols, and Jerome Ford slot in behind Croskey-Merritt in Washington's RB room, but JCM is the only one of the group with a realistic chance for lead-back duties. The 25-year-old former seventh-rounder out of the University of Arizona worked his way into a big role in his first NFL campaign in D.C., rushing for 805 yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries while adding nine receptions for 68 yards. Because he won't be guaranteed a three-down role, though, fantasy managers should target JCM as more of an RB3/flex in drafts this fall.