Rodriguez carried the ball seven times for 59 yards in Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Falcons.

EDGE Analysis

Most of his damage came on a 48-yard carry on the final play of the first quarter, but it was enough to lead the Commanders' backfield in rushing yards. Rodriguez watched rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt led all Washington backs in touches with nine, while Deebo Samuel also got three carries and Jeremy McNichols handled three touches, as the entire committee produced 6.7 yards per carry -- a situation that leaves none of those RBs as reliable fantasy plays without a consistent path to more volume. Rodriguez may need a TD to make a splash in Week 5 against the Chargers.

Rodriguez took 11 carries for 39 yards in Sunday's 41-24 win over the Raiders.

EDGE Analysis

A healthy scratch the previous two weeks, Rodriguez jumped right into the starting lineup in Washington's first game since Austin Ekeler suffered an Achilles' tear. Rodriguez played every snap on the first two drives, taking five carries for 29 yards in the process, before giving way to Jacory Croskey-Merritt for the third and fourth series. Jeremy McNichols then subbed in and broke off a 60-yard touchdown, and it wasn't until the fourth quarter that Rodriguez got carries again. When all was said and done, Rodriguez played 39 percent of Washington's snaps on offense, tied with Croskey-Merritt and ahead of McNichols (26 percent). Rodriguez also had the most carries, though not quite a majority, and he finished without a target. The Commanders likely will deploy a three-man backfield again when they travel to Atlanta in Week 4.

Rodriguez (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday's game against the Packers.

EDGE Analysis

Rodriguez will be a healthy scratch for a second straight week while the Commanders roll with a three-man backfield of Austin Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols. Rodriguez's next opportunity to play is Week 3 against the Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 21, though he likely won't play in that contest unless Ekeler, Croskey-Merritt or McNichols are unavailable.

Rodriguez (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Giants.

EDGE Analysis

Rodriguez thus is the odd man out in a Commanders backfield that will be playing without Brian Robinson following his trade to the 49ers on Aug. 22. Instead, some combination of Austin Ekeler, rookie seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols will be Washington's available running backs Sunday. Rodriguez's next chance to suit up will be Thursday at Green Bay.

Rodriguez started Saturday's 30-3 preseason loss to Baltimore and took five carries for 34 yards.

EDGE Analysis

All five carries came on the opening drive, after which Jeremy McNichols came on. Rodriguez played well again, after ripping off a 40-yard gain the week before, but it's perhaps not the best sign for his Week 1 role that he was playing at all (while both Austin Ekeler and Jacory Croskey-Merritt were rested). There's been much speculation about the nature of Washington's likely backfield committee, with Brian Robinson recently traded to San Francisco after averaging 13.4 carries and 1.8 targets across 36.1 snaps in 14 regular-season games last year (958 total yards and eight TDs). Most of the fantasy interest centers on Ekeler and Croskey-Merritt, with Rodriguez potentially playing a spoiler role by handling some of the power running. Coach Dan Quinn was asked Thursday about Rodriguez handling short-yardage work and acknowledged the possibility, although Quinn also cautioned against assuming traditional backfield roles.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Thursday that Rodriguez could be the team's goal-line back, although Quinn also commented that the team won't necessarily have traditional backfield roles, Commanders writer Ben Standig reports.

EDGE Analysis

With Brian Robinson reportedly on the trade block and perhaps even at risk of being released, there's been a lot of recent discussion about what Washington's backfield might look like. Austin Ekeler is the safest bet for snaps and touches, but he's unlikely to handle a huge workload, leaving paths for Rodriguez, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and/or Jeremy McNichols to get involved. Most of the fantasy discussion has centered on Croskey-Merritt this summer, but Rodriguez got the start alongside QB Jayden Daniels in Washington's second preseason game and promptly broke off a 40-yard run on the opening drive. Croskey-Merritt then came on for the second series, while Ekeler was held out and McNichols played later on. A three-way committee between Ekeler, Rodriguez and Croskey-Merritt is the most likely outcome for Week 1 against the Giants, regardless of various judgements and opinions on how things might play out from there. Rodriguez is worthy of a fantasy bench spot in most leagues while we wait to see just how things play out in Washington's backfield.

Rodriguez started Monday's preseason loss to the Bengals and took six carries for 62 yards before exiting the game.

EDGE 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.

Rodriguez was tendered a contract by the Commanders on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Rodriguez will remain with the Commanders after entering the offseason as an exclusive-rights free agent. The running back compiled 173 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries while also reeling in his only target for 12 yards over nine regular-season games in 2024.

Rodriguez finished the 2024 regular season with 35 carries for 173 yards and two touchdowns and one catch for 12 yards.

EDGE Analysis

The 2023 sixth-round pick spent much of the season on Washington's practice squad and was a healthy scratch for the final two playoff games, but he also had a few chances to handle a significant role when the team was missing either Brian Robinson or Austin Ekeler, both of whom are under contract through 2025. Rodriguez is set to be an exclusive rights free agent, which means he'll likely be back with the Commanders in a depth role at the league-minimum salary for a third-year player. There is some chance Rodriguez gets an opportunity to move up the depth chart, as he's averaged 4.9 yards on 86 career carries after a prolific college career at Kentucky.

Rodriguez (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles.

EDGE Analysis

Rodriguez will be sidelined for the second playoff game in a row. The second-year running back was active but did not appear in Washington's wild-card win at Tampa Bay, and he logged 35 carries for 173 yards across nine regular-season appearances. The Commanders will once again roll with Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols at running back versus Philadelphia.