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Luke McCaffrey Luke McCaffrey Finishes without a catch
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 11:08 PM
McCaffrey started Monday's preseason game against the Bengals but finished without a target.
Analysis: McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Jaylin Lane took the WR snaps on Jayden Daniels' lone drive -- a four-play TD march on four rushes. Reports from Washington beat writers suggest McCaffrey has made progress since a disappointing rookie season, and strong work in practice could put him in the mix for Week 1 snaps, especially if Terry McLaurin's contract situation impacts his availability (or September workload). Deebo Samuel is locked in for one starting job, but not much else is clear in Washington's WR room unless McLaurin comes back in a hurry. |
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Jeremy McNichols Jeremy McNichols Takes four touches for 13 yards
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 11:05 PM
McNichols took three carries for 10 yards and one catch for three yards in Monday's preseason loss to the Bengals.
Analysis: He was the third RB into the game for Washington for a second straight week, behind Chris Rodriguez and Jacory Croskey-Merritt (while Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler didn't play). There's nonetheless a chance McNichols makes the Week 1 roster, as he's familiar with Kliff Kingsbury's offense and will bump up a spot on the depth chart if the Robinson trade rumors come to fruition. It does seem Rodriguez and Croskey-Merritt are more likely to take over Robinson's role, but McNichols helped fill the gap when Robinson or Ekeler was out last year. |
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Ben Sinnott Ben Sinnott Finishes without a catch
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 11:00 PM
Sinnott finished without a catch on one target in Monday's preseason loss to the Bengals.
Analysis: Sinnott was a second-round pick last year, but there hasn't been much hint of him making a push to overtake 33-year-old Zach Ertz, who was among the players rested Monday night. Sinnott took a snap on the opening drive with Jayden Daniels, but only in a multi-TE formation, whereas John Bates was in for every play. It looks like Sinnott may just be the No. 3 TE again unless an injury to Ertz opens up the pass-catching role. |
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Jaylin Lane Jaylin Lane Puts up 42 yards
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 10:56 PM
Lane caught three of six targets for 42 yards in Monday's preseason loss to the Bengals.
Analysis: Lane, Deebo Samuel and Luke McCaffrey were the wide receivers on Jayden Daniels' lone drive, which resulted in a TD after four consecutive rush attempts (the last being a scramble). Lane caught a 12-yard pass from Josh Johnson on the second drive, and then continued playing well into the third quarter. The rookie fourth-round pick likely will be a backup come Week 1, but there is some chance of a big opportunity opening up if the Commanders can't figure things out with Terry McLaurin, who still isn't practicing after requesting a trade earlier this month. |
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Chris Rodriguez Chris Rodriguez Rips off 40-yard run on second snap
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 10:30 PM
Rodriguez started Monday's preseason loss to the Bengals and took six carries for 62 yards before exiting the game.
Analysis: He got all of his carries on the first and third drives, with the highlight being a 40-yard gain on Washington's second snap of the game to set up a Jayden Daniels rushing TD on quarterback's lone drive of the game. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who started over Rodriguez the week before, came in for the second drive and scored a 27-yard TD on his second carry. Croskey-Merritt played until the end of the third quarter, while Rodriguez took his final carry early in the second. The two may be competing for a significant Week 1 role, with multiple recent reports suggesting Brian Robinson is being shopped. The Commanders held both Robinson and Austin Ekeler out Monday, leaving Rodriguez, Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols as the top three RBs. |
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Jacory Croskey-Merritt Jacory Croskey-Merritt Scores on second drive
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 10:25 PM
Croskey-Merritt (shoulder) took 11 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 31-17 preseason loss to Cincinnati, adding two receptions for no gain on two targets.
Analysis: Brian Robinson was held out amid trade rumors, while Austin Ekeler was merely rested. Chris Rodriguez got the start, broke off a 40-yard run on the second play and took all four snaps on the opening drive with Jayden Daniels. Croskey-Merritt then came in for the second drive and quickly scored a 27-yard TD run. Rodriguez took most of the third series, followed by Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols sharing snaps until the end of the third quarter. The week before, Croskey-Merritt started over Rodriguez in a loss to New England but came out of the game with a minor injury. After getting back to full strength in a hurry, the rookie seventh-round pick seems to be competing with Rodriguez for the chance to potentially replace Robinson. A handful of Washington beat writers have praised Croskey-Merritt as one of the standouts of training camp, fueling fantasy interest even before the recent reports about Robinson being shopped. |
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Deebo Samuel Deebo Samuel Gains 19 yards on first drive
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 8:20 PM
Samuel took one carry for 19 yards in Monday's preseason game against the Bengals.
Analysis: Samuel got the ball on the first snap of Washington's four-play, 74-yard TD drive -- after which Samuel, Jayden Daniels and some other starters didn't play. With Terry McLaurin (contract) still unavailable, Samuel has been Daniels' top target throughout training camp, portending a featured role in Washington's Week 1 game plan against the Giants. |
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Jayden Daniels Jayden Daniels Runs for TD on lone drive
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 8:12 PM
Daniels played four snaps in Monday's preseason game against the Bengals, taking one carry for a 14-yard touchdown.
Analysis: He played just one drive, which started with a 19-yard run from Deebo Samuel and a 40-yard scamper by Chris Rodriguez. Two plays later, Daniels scrambled for a touchdown on his lone dropback. That will likely be his only action this preseason, with the focus shifting to a Week 1 matchup against the Giants and wideout Terry McLaurin's unresolved contract situation. |
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Noah Brown Noah Brown Not playing Monday
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 5:56 PM
Brown isn't suiting up for Monday's preseason game versus the Bengals, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.
Analysis: Brown was carted off the field during mandatory minicamp in June due to an undisclosed injury and then was eased into training camp before eventually practicing without restrictions as of July 28. Nonetheless, he'll miss a second consecutive exhibition, leaving him just one more chance for game action (Saturday against the Ravens) ahead of Week 1. Brown is coming off an injury-shortened campaign in which he tallied a 35-453-1 line on 56 targets in 11 regular-season games. |
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Deebo Samuel Deebo Samuel Suiting up Monday
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 5:50 PM
Samuel isn't among the Commanders that aren't suiting up for Monday's preseason game against the Bengals, Zach Selby of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Samuel thus is slated for his first action in a Washington uniform following his trade from San Francisco back on March 1. With wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown not playing Monday, Samuel will act as Jayden Daniels' top target for as long as the quarterback is on the field. Samuel has developed a nice rapport with Daniels throughout training camp, and this will mark their first opportunity to show it off in actual game setting. |
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Brian Robinson Brian Robinson Won't suit up vs. Bengals
Mon, Aug 18, 2025, 1:44 PM
Robinson will not play during Monday's preseason game against Cincinnati amid ongoing speculation about him being on the trade block, Commanders writer Ben Standig reports.
Analysis: Robinson is entering the final year of his rookie deal and has rushed for over 700 yards in three straight campaigns for Washington, having handled 187 carries for a career-high 799 yards (4.3 YPC) and eight touchdowns across 14 regular-season games in 2024. That Robinson won't take the field Monday alongside second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels lends more credence to rumors that Washington is willing to move on from the 2022 third-round pick via trade, as Jeremy Brener of SI.com reports, and potentially move forward with Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, Chris Rodriguez and rookie training camp standout Jacory Croskey-Merritt (shoulder) atop the depth chart instead. Per Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, the decision for Robinson to sit out Monday's preseason game is mutual between the running back and the team. |
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Jacory Croskey-Merritt Jacory Croskey-Merritt Limited in return to practice
Sat, Aug 16, 2025, 10:38 AM
Croskey-Merritt (shoulder) participated in Saturday's training camp practice in a limited capacity, Commanders writer Ben Standig reports.
Analysis: Croskey-Merritt was spotted in a non-contact jersey and was limited to individual work during Saturday's practice. The rookie seventh-rounder is working through a shoulder injury that he suffered during the Commanders' preseason opener against the Patriots, when he turned seven carries into 24 yards and caught his lone target for eight yards. Croskey-Merritt is battling Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez for the RB3 job behind Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler. |
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Marcus Mariota Marcus Mariota Won't play vs. Cincinnati
Sat, Aug 16, 2025, 10:13 AM
Mariota (lower leg) has been ruled out for Monday's preseason game against the Bengals, Commanders writer Ben Standig reports.
Analysis: Mariota will miss a second preseason game while working through a lower leg strain. Per Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site, Jayden Daniels and most of the other offensive starters will play "a few series" during Monday's game, but with Mariota sidelined, Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman should handle most of the snaps following Daniels' exit. |
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Zach Ertz Zach Ertz Resting another preseason game
Sat, Aug 16, 2025, 10:12 AM
Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Saturday that Ertz will rest rather than suit up alongside the rest of the starters during Monday's preseason game against the Bengals, Commanders writer Ben Standig reports.
Analysis: Ertz won't join Jayden Daniels and the majority of Washington's starters in making their preseason debut versus Cincinnati, an unsurprising decision, given that as he heads into his age-35 season, the veteran tight end has little more to gain from exhibition reps. Veteran wideout Noah Brown will join Ertz with a day of rest on the sidelines, while top receiver Terry McLaurin came off the active/PUP list Saturday but won't be in consideration to take the field Monday. |
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Jayden Daniels Jayden Daniels Set for limited playing time Monday
Sat, Aug 16, 2025, 9:52 AM
Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Saturday that Daniels and most of the starters will play "a few series" during Monday's preseason matchup against the Bengals, Zach Selby of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Daniels sat out Washington's preseason opener against the Patriots last week, but he and the majority of other offensive starters will get an opportunity to shake the rust off with at least a handful of exhibition drives at home versus the Bengals on Monday. Cincinnati's plan is to play the starting unit for 2-3 drives for a second straight week, per Jay Morrison of SI.com, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Commanders were to simply match that workload. Top wide receiver Terry McLaurin (ankle) was activated from the active/PUP list Monday, though the move is reportedly not indicative of progress between the 30-year-old wideout and Washington toward a new contract. McLaurin won't be a candidate to play Monday, and he'll likely also sit out the preseason finale against Baltimore per Commanders writer Ben Standig, but still, McLaurin moving toward a return to the field is a positive development for Daniels' fantasy projections. |
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Terry McLaurin Terry McLaurin Activated from PUP list
Sat, Aug 16, 2025, 9:11 AM
The Commanders activated McLaurin (ankle) from the active/PUP list Saturday.
Analysis: McLaurin's activation from the PUP list doesn't seem to represent a step forward in his pursuit of a new long-term extension, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but with Washington's regular-season opener against the Giants on Sunday, Sept. 7 now roughly three weeks away, the No. 1 wideout is ready to get back on the practice field and get into game shape. Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports that McLaurin isn't participating in on-field drills at practice Saturday, though he could simply be handling his ramp-up work inside team facilities. The soon-to-be 30-year-old wideout is currently heading into the final year of his deal with the Commanders, and his dissatisfaction with the lack of progress on extension negotiations has been severe enough that he made a trade request July 31. |
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River Cracraft River Cracraft Signs with Washington
Thu, Aug 14, 2025, 1:10 PM
Cracraft (undisclosed) signed with the Commanders on Thursday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Cracraft was released with a non-football injury designation by the Seahawks in May, but he has subsequently recovered. The 30-year-old wide receiver has 53 games of regular-season experience under his belt but will be fighting an uphill battle to make Washington's 53-man roster. |
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Jacory Croskey-Merritt Jacory Croskey-Merritt Dealing with shoulder injury
Tue, Aug 12, 2025, 10:29 AM
Croskey-Merritt suffered a minor shoulder injury during Friday's 48-18 preseason loss to the Patriots, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: The rookie was held out of Tuesday's scrimmage but is expected back in practice soon. While it's unclear if he'll play in Monday's exhibition contest against Cincinnati, Croskey-Merritt appears to be on track for a Week 1 roster spot. He was the first RB through the rotation in the preseason opener, working ahead of Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez while Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler were rested. |
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Deebo Samuel Deebo Samuel Building chemistry with Daniels
Tue, Aug 12, 2025, 9:20 AM
Samuel and Jayden Daniels have shown a strong connection throughout training camp, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
Analysis: Samuel has been the de facto No. 1 wideout at training camp due to the absence of Terry McLaurin, who requested a trade at the beginning of August as part of a contract dispute. It sounds like Samuel and Daniels have built chemistry quickly, setting the table for the former 49er to have a big role in Washington's offense right out of the gate. The report also notes that Samuel currently weighs around 220 pounds, with nine percent body fat, after playing much of last season at 225 pounds. Conditioning was an issue for the wideout last year in San Francisco, although that was due to a case of pneumonia more than his weight or fitness. Samuel focused on improving his stamina this offseason in preparation for a role in Kliff Kingsbury's uptempo offense. |
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Luke McCaffrey Luke McCaffrey Back at practice
Sun, Aug 10, 2025, 1:33 PM
McCaffrey (illness) participated in Sunday's training camp practice, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Analysis: McCaffrey played just one snap in Friday's preseason loss to the Patriots due to an illness, but he has recovered enough to return for Sunday's practice. He's battling for a larger role in the Commanders' offense, and he should continue to see an uptick in reps with the first-team offense for as long as Terry McLaurin (ankle/contract) is sidelined. |
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