Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week for the fourth time in 2025
For the fourth time this season, Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week.
He is coming off his second 100-yard rushing game of the season after finishing with 105 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 11 carries in the Christmas Day loss vs. Dallas. His highlight came in the opening minutes of the third quarter when he broke loose for a 72-yard rushing touchdown, marking his longest play from scrimmage while also reaching a top speed of 21.62 mph on the run, fastest by any Commander this season and the 15th-fastest run by any player during the 2025 NFL season.
“I saw daylight and I was like this is my chance to show in this open field, I can take it the distance,” Croskey-Merritt said after the game about the long touchdown run. “It worked out perfectly.”
In the four games Croskey-Merritt has won the award, the rookie has totaled 403 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Croskey-Merritt also eclipsed 100 rushing yards and recorded his first multi-touchdown game in the week five win against the Los Angeles Chargers, making his Christmas Day performance a repeat of what Commander fans have come to expect from the Arizona product.
He became the first player in NFL history to be drafted outside the top 200 picks and record over 75 rushing yards and a touchdown in their debut.
Heading into the regular season finale vs. Philadelphia, Croskey-Merritt needs 116 rushing yards to crack the franchise's top four all-time rookie rushing leaders and enters Sunday just 19 yards away from tying Antonio Gibson and 21 yards away from tying Brian Robinson.
Croskey-Merritt also leads the team and all rookies with eight touchdowns in 2025, while his 776 rushing yards ranks third among rookies and leads the Commanders with a nearly five yard per carry average.
“Certainly Bill [RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt] has, right from the beginning there was always a moment or two in training camp early on the cut, the explosiveness. And so, to see a 70-yard run, that just doesn't happen very often in our league. And so, it showed the speed that he's capable of,” Quinn said of his rookie running back.
Croskey-Merritt arrived in Washington after becoming the team's seventh round selection in 2025 before carving out a clear role in a running back rotation that features Chris Rodriguez Jr and Jeremy McNichols, alleviating the absence of Austin Ekeler who was lost to a season-ending injury in the week two loss vs. Green Bay.
While Croskey-Merritt looks to expand on his role in year two with the organization, he also enters the offseason as the only running back under contract with both McNichols and Rodriguez are on expiring contracts, while Ekeler is in year two of his two-year, $8.43 million deal with his future uncertain. But could the Commanders bring back either McNichols or Rodriguez? We dive into what the stay or go decisions look like for the Commanders with over 30 players set to hit the open market this offseason.