Rachaad White Embracing Veteran Role with Washington Commanders

Going into the offseason, the Washington Commanders knew they would have to pay close attention to their running back room with only Jacory Croskey-Merritt on the roster at the start of free agency. Washington used every part of the offseason to help reload the unit, re-signing one back, signing two from other teams, using a sixth-round pick on another, and rounding out the group with an undrafted free agent. One of the backs that was signed from another team was former Tampa Bay starter Rachaad White.

Despite being the new guy in Washington, White takes on a new role as a leader of a running back room with young talent needing some guidance.

“They look up to me in the aspect of asking me questions and things like that, so I try to be there to help them,” White said.

“They look at me as a veteran. I still don’t see it yet, and I don’t want to look at it like that yet, but I’m glad they respect me and they can ask me anything and I give them the game.”

When it comes to the offense itself, White has nothing but praise for it. White was a former third-round pick by the Bucs back in 2022 and nearly rushed for 1,000 yards in 2023. In 2024 and 2025, he rushed for over 500 yards while splitting carries with Bucky Irving.

Yet White arrives in DC with a chance to upgrade a sore spot after tallying 1,450 receiving yards on 205 carries - an average that eclipses seven yards per catch. For an offense that saw Jeremy McNichols account for 31 of the running backs' 42 catches during the entirety of the 2025 season, there was a clear reason why an upgrade was needed.

With the expectation that the Commanders focus on establishing the rushing attack, White admitted that he does "mess with the system.”

“I think it’s great. All the things that [offensive coordinator David Blough] does for us, the different things that he does, and the positions that he puts us in."

Washington’s ground game needs to find its footing right from the start, with quarterback Jayden Daniels returning from an injury-plagued 2025 and question marks all over the receiving core. White sees the value that each running back brings to the table and how they can all work together.

“I think we loaded the room,” White had to say at the state of the running back room. “A lot of young with [Robert Henry] and Kaytron [Allen], obviously [Jacory Croskey-Merritt] still being young. Older guys like me, kinda Jermone [Ford], [Jeremy McNichols], we do a good job."

While answering questions during the Commanders’ press conference, White did field a few regarding fellow Arizona State alum Brandon Aiyuk, stemming from the wide receiver’s recent social media posts. Just like head coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels, White also chose to take the high ground when it came to discussions about whether the current-49er would potentially join him in Washington.

“I can’t really get too much into it because, like, you don’t know what you don’t know. But we'll just see what happens,” said White.

Commanders Roundtable also offers a fan community. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Commanders. Create an account, click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our free community and follow for all of our coverage, analysis and more!