<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-jacory-croskey-merritt-honest-fumbling-problem');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt gets brutally honest on his fumbling problem');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Commanders-news-Jacory-Croskey-Merritt-gets-brutally-honest-on-his-fumbling-problem.jpg"><figcaption>© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt gets brutally honest on his fumbling problem</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-14T09:08:51-07:00">October 14th, 9:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-14T09:08:51-07:00">October 14th, 9:08am</time><address><a>Jayesh Pagar</a>Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content, delivering in-depth analysis and breaking news coverage across multiple platforms.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt has been one of the season’s breakout stars, but recent ball security issues have grabbed attention. The seventh-round pick addressed his fumbling concerns head-on following back-to-back games with fumbles, showing maturity beyond his draft position.</p><p>Nicki Jhabvala, the Commanders reporter for The Athletic, shared Croskey-Merritt’s comments on X, formerly Twitter, when <a href="https://x.com/NickiJhabvala/status/1977952408287473761" rel="noopener">he was asked about his recent fumbles</a>. “I still got a lot of confidence in myself and I just got to be better at my job and that’ll get fixed for sure,” the rookie said after the 25-24 Monday Night Football loss to the Chicago Bears.</p><p>The fumbles have come at critical moments. In Week 5 against the Chargers, Bill fumbled late despite rushing for 111 yards and two touchdowns, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hbcu/commanders-star-jacory-croskey-merritt-earns-the-recognition-of-tom-brady">earning recognition from Tom Brady</a> as his “LFG Player of the Game.” Washington still won 27-10, but the Week 6 fumble proved more costly.</p><p>Against the Bears, the rookie lost control of the ball in the first quarter when defensive end Montez Sweat forced a strip at Washington’s 33-yard line. The Bears recovered and capitalized immediately, with quarterback Caleb Williams scoring a touchdown five plays later to give Chicago a 13-0 lead in what became a heartbreaking 25-24 loss.</p><p>Late in the fourth quarter, with Washington leading 24-22, Croskey-Merritt was involved in another costly turnover on third-and-1 at the Chicago 40-yard line. Quarterback Jayden Daniels failed to handle the handoff in the rain, and the ball slipped out. Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright recovered at the Chicago 44-yard line with 3:09 remaining.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-most-to-blame-for-last-second-loss-to-bears-on-mnf">Daniels took full responsibility afterward</a>, saying, “I just lost the ball. Completely my fault.” Still, Croskey-Merritt <a href="https://x.com/NickiJhabvala/status/1977952256537600320" rel="noopener">acknowledged the mistakes</a>, noting, “Just got to be better in what we do.”</p><h2><b>How are the Commanders handling his fumbling issues?</b></h2><p>The coaching staff’s response speaks volumes about their trust in Croskey-Merritt. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury didn’t yank him after either fumble. Instead, the rookie played a season-high 43 snaps in Week 6 with 17 carries. After the Week 5 fumble left Washington at its own 1-yard line, the rookie still remained on the field.</p><p>His production justifies that confidence. Through six games, he’s rushed for 344 yards on 60 carries with four touchdowns and a 5.73 yards-per-carry average. The rookie’s accountability and elite efficiency numbers suggest these fumbles are fixable mistakes rather than a fundamental flaw. He’ll get his chance to prove that against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt gets brutally honest on his fumbling problem

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/hbcu/commanders-star-jacory-croskey-merritt-earns-the-recognition-of-tom-brady');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders star Jacory Croskey-Merritt earns the recognition of Tom Brady');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Commanders-star-Jacory-Crowley-Merritt-earns-the-recognition-of-Tom-Brady-.jpg"></figure><h1>Commanders star Jacory Croskey-Merritt earns the recognition of Tom Brady</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-09T14:35:18-07:00">October 9th, 2:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-09T14:35:18-07:00">October 9th, 2:35pm</time><address><a>Randall Barnes</a>Randall Barnes is a Fall 2019 Graduate of Fort Valley State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Fort Valley, Georgia, where he majored in Media Studies. He is the Founder of HBCU Pulse, a multimedia outlet with the mission to tell the authentic stories of HBCU Life via traditional, digital and social media outlets to amplify our voice. He is also the host of HBCU Pulse Radio, which can be heard on SiriusXM Channel 142 HBCU Fridays at 5 p.m. EST and wherever you get your podcasts.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">HBCU</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Commanders running back <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hbcu/jacory-croskey-merritt-makes-major-statement-with-first-nfl-touchdown">Jacory Croskey-Merritt has quickly become a breakout story</a> at the start of the NFL season, generating significant buzz. Following an injury to fellow running back Austin Ekeler, Merritt has stepped into a feature role in the Commanders’ rushing attack.</p><p>He was highly effective in the team’s 27-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing the game with 14 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns. His impressive play earned him Tom Brady’s “LFG” Week 5 Player of the Game—a weekly recognition Brady gives to the standout player in the matchup he covers for FOX Sports.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">RB Jacory Crowley-Merritt on the importance of his HBCU experience at <a href="https://twitter.com/BamaStateFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bamastatefb</a></p><p>🎥 holderhangout6039/YouTube <a href="https://t.co/TUVw6D2Oh0">pic.twitter.com/TUVw6D2Oh0</a></p><p>— HBCUGO.TV (@HBCUGoTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/HBCUGoTV/status/1975313225790152826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>In a media session, Croskey-Merritt spoke to HBCU Go <a href="https://twitter.com/HBCUGoTV/status/1975313225790152826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener">about his journey</a> and his HBCU roots. Before transferring to New Mexico and Arizona, Merritt spent four seasons at Alabama State. During his time with the Hornets, which included a COVID-19-affected season, he accumulated 1,164 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 31 games.</p><p>His notable performances at Alabama State included two 100-yard rushing games: a 143-yard outing on 17 carries against Prairie View A&amp;M and a 106-yard effort on 14 carries against Texas Southern in 2021. Merritt also showcased versatility with 29 career receptions for 335 yards and an additional receiving touchdown.</p><p>Meritt is thankful for his time with Alabama State and the opportunity it gave him the ascend to this stage.</p><p>“It definitely was good, Alabama State being like one of the few schools that were interested in me. I definitely can’t thank them enough for, um, just giving me an opportunity and I forever [have] love for HBCUs.”</p><p>He also recognized the opportunity that he received at the FCS before moving to the FBS.</p><p>“[Playing at Alabama State] taught me that we may not have it all like the other, the other D1 schools, but I mean, we was able to get a chance to play on Saturday. So it taught that kind of, it taught me to be grateful for football.”</p><p>Croskey-Merritt was selected by the Commanders in the seventh round (255th pick) of the 2025 NFL Draft, and his journey has now led him to a key role on an NFC contender, where he shares the backfield with quarterback <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-jayden-daniels-start-vs-chargers">and former Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.</a></p><p>The Commanders play the Bears on Monday Night Football next week at 8:15 PM EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders star Jacory Croskey-Merritt earns the recognition of Tom Brady

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-jacory-croskey-merritt-injury-update-before-week-4');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jacory Croskey-Merritt gets injury update before Week 4');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jacory-Croskey-Merritt-on-Sept.-7-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Peter Casey-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jacory Croskey-Merritt gets injury update before Week 4</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-28T06:30:39-07:00">September 28th, 6:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-28T06:30:39-07:00">September 28th, 6:30am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders face a huge test in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. The Commanders are already <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-terry-mclaurin-likely-out-jayden-daniels-up-in-air-week-4">out both Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin</a> before their game against the Falcons. Thankfully, Washington just got some positive injury news ahead of this important interconference battle.</p><p>Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1972138057664286728" rel="noopener">is expected to play</a> against the Falcons on Sunday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.</p><p>Croskey-Merritt is officially questionable on the injury report with a knee injury.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-rookie-rb-returns-to-practice-before-week-4-vs-falcons">standout rookie returned to practice on Friday</a> with the hopes of playing in Week 4.</p><p>Croskey-Merritt has already made a big impact on Washington’s offense through just three games. The seventh-round pick has 22 carries for 125 yards and two touchdowns so far this season.</p><p>It is good news that Croskey-Merritt will be available to help the Commanders on Sunday. But he is unlikely to receive most of Washington’s carries on offense.</p><p>The Commanders will sprinkle in both Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-austin-ekeler-out-for-season-with-torn-achilles">now that Austin Ekeler is out for the season</a>.</p><h2><b>Kurt Warner declares Commanders are in good hands with Marcus Mariota</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Macus-Mariota-on-Sept.-21-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Commanders may be undermanned in Week 4, but they should not be worried about the quarterback position.</p><p>NFL legend Kurt <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-kurt-warner-solid-starter-marcus-mariota-declaration-week-3-win">Warner praised backup QB Marcus Mariota</a> after his strong performance in Week 3. Warner even called him “a solid starter” in Washington’s system.</p><p>“Right now my two favorite play designer/callers going are Shane Steichen &amp; Kliff Kingsbury… majority are good solid concepts that connect &amp; have answers for QB! Really enjoy popping on their tape &amp; would like to play for them! On a side note – Marcus Mariota may not be a starter in every system, but he’s in the right system in WASH,” Warner posted on social media on Tuesday. “I believe if JD wasn’t there he would be a solid starter in the NFL there!”</p><p>Mariota played well against the Raiders, throwing for 207 passing yards and one touchdown. But he will face a different kind of defense in Atlanta.</p><p>It will be fascinating to see if Atlanta’s pair of rookie edge rushers will create problems for Mariota on Sunday.</p><p>Commanders at Falcons kicks off at 1PM ET on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jacory Croskey-Merritt gets injury update before Week 4

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-jacory-croskey-merritt-play-week-4-jayden-daniels-week-5-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt to play Week 4 as Jayden Daniels eyes Week 5 return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jacory-Croskey-Merritt-on-Sept.-7-2025.-2.jpg"><figcaption>Amber Searls-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt to play Week 4 as Jayden Daniels eyes Week 5 return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-28T06:22:53-07:00">September 28th, 6:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-28T06:22:53-07:00">September 28th, 6:22am</time><address><a>Tim Crean</a>Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined ClutchPoints in 2022. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL, NBA, soccer, sports media, and more. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie, it is a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York and when he’s not enjoying a round of golf he's probably coaching youth soccer or flag football. You can catch all of his sports-related musings on Twitter at @twcrean.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders are banged up heading into Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, especially on offense. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-terry-mclaurin-likely-out-jayden-daniels-up-in-air-week-4">Star quarterback Jayden Daniels is out</a>, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-terry-mclaurin-avoid-being-ir">as is star wide receiver Terry McLaurin</a>. Rookie running back <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-rookie-rb-returns-to-practice-before-week-4-vs-falcons">Jacory Croskey-Merritt was also questionable</a> with a knee injury leading up to Sunday. Ultimately, Croskey-Merritt <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1972155556786852265" rel="noopener">will take the field</a> in Atlanta, and Daniels could be ready to return as early as next week.</p><p>“Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who they call Bill, is expected to play today, sources say. He’s questionable with a knee injury,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday.</p><p>Croskey-Merritt, who played at Alabama State, New Mexico, and Arizona in his college career, was a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and has quickly established himself as a legit RB in the league. Through three games, he has 22 carries for 125 yards, which works out to an excellent 5.7 yards per carry. He also has one catch for five yards and two touchdowns.</p><p>The rookie has played a key role so far in Washington’s season. He played so well in training camp that the team traded incumbent starter Brian Robinson Jr., and now Croskey-Merritt leads the team in carries and rushing yards.</p><p>As for Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year will miss his second straight game on Sunday with a knee injury. However, Rapoport reports that <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1972266674381324499" rel="noopener">he is nearing a return</a>.</p><p>“My understanding is that Jayden Daniels is expected to be back next week, in what looms as a huge game against the Chargers,” the reporter said on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Insiders on <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLGameDay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLGameDay</a> Kickoff with <a href="https://twitter.com/judybattista?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudyBattista</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TomPelissero?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomPelissero</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeGarafolo</a>: On <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Steelers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Steelers</a> WR DK Metcalf’s YAC; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Commanders?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Commanders</a> QB Jayden Daniels expected back next week; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcons?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Falcons</a> QB Michael Penix Jr takes ownership; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Eagles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Eagles</a> offense finding the right formula. <a href="https://t.co/aN22MEzLaC">pic.twitter.com/aN22MEzLaC</a></p><p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1972266674381324499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>While Jayden Daniels is out, backup Marcus Mariota will get his second start. The journeyman veteran won his first start, going 15-of-21 for 207 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in a blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3.</p><p>No matter what happens to the Commanders in Week 4, the Week 5 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers will be a big game, as Rapoport noted. LA is 3-0 heading into Sunday, and if they can take care of Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants, they will move to 4-0 with Washington coming to town.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt to play Week 4 as Jayden Daniels eyes Week 5 return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-rumors-jacory-croskey-merritt-predicted-lead-back-eventually');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders rumors: Jacory Croskey-Merritt predicted to be lead back ‘eventually’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jacory-Croskey-Merritt-on-Sept.-7-2025.-2.jpg"><figcaption>Amber Searls-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Commanders rumors: Jacory Croskey-Merritt predicted to be lead back ‘eventually’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T07:25:25-07:00">September 10th, 7:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T07:25:25-07:00">September 10th, 7:25am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-jayden-daniels-always-wary-micah-parsons"> the Washington Commanders facing Micah Parsons</a> and the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, the one component of the team that will be interesting to watch is the running back room featuring Jacory Croskey-Merritt. When <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-chris-rodriguez-jr-s-healthy-scratch-eye-opening-fantasy-football-managers">Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was a healthy scratch</a> last Sunday in the win over the New York Giants, Croskey-Merritt made due with the opportunity and had an electric game, likely leading to more chances.</p><p>In the latest column by ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, the two spoke about the buzz around the league after Week 1, with one part focusing on the running back hierarchy on various teams.</p><p>They would speak about Washington and how Croskey-Merritt rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, with Fowler saying that not only does he expect the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46208962/nfl-week-2-buzz-news-updates-fantasy-intel-questions-predictions" rel="noopener">“momentum to continue”</a> and that he will be the lead running back “eventually.”</p><p>“I kept hearing how high Washington was on Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the preseason, and he delivered Sunday with 82 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. I’m expecting his momentum to continue,” Fowler wrote.</p><p>“Austin Ekeler will remain a factor, and the Commanders trust Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. Croskey-Merritt might not be the lead back yet, but he will be eventually,” Fowler continued. “Commanders players have been impressed by the patience and vision he showed when running with the first-team offense in camp.”</p><h2><b>Why Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt will be the lead running back</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jacory-Croskey-Merritt-on-Sept.-7-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Peter Casey-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/why-commanders-jayden-daniels-must-deliver-big-2025">Commanders are looking to deliver big in the 2025</a> season, the production of Croskey-Merritt could be an interesting storyline to follow beyond fantasy football purposes. Croskey-Merritt was a seventh-round pick and dazzled Washington during the offseason and preseason, leading to the immediate standout outing in Week 1, as Graziano agreed with the notion that he will eventually be the lead player in the unit.</p><p>“I tentatively agree,” Graziano wrote. “When Rodriguez was announced as inactive Sunday, it was a clear sign that Croskey-Merritt was in for a significant role. A tiny part of me wonders if the Commanders might have Rodriguez up for Thursday night’s game with the Packers and give some other backs more work to avoid overloading Croskey-Merritt with two high-usage games in a five-day span.”</p><p>“But I have no inside information to suggest that, and being in that locker room after Sunday’s game, I can say they were very happy with what they got from the seventh-round rookie,” Graziano continued. “I expect him to be their main guy for the bulk of this season along with Ekeler, who has his own specific role.”</p><p>As the NFL insiders mention, the Commanders still have Ekeler, McNichols, and Rodriguez Jr., as Croskey-Merritt will look to keep standing out with the next opportunity on Thursday against the Packers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
RUSHING YDS	RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOTAL TDS	POSITION RANK
402	0	60	4	-

2025 SEASON STATS
RUSHING YDS	RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOTAL TDS	POSITION RANK
402	0	60	4	-

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

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Commanders rumors: Jacory Croskey-Merritt predicted to be lead back ‘eventually’

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