Rachaad White
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White.
The Washington Commanders gutted their depth at running back before the 2025 season even began by trading Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers — leaving rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt and oft-injured veteran Austin Ekeler to carry the load.
Ekeler, who was coming off 2 serious concussions in 2024, tore his Achilles tendon in Week 2, leaving just Croskey-Merritt to carry the load. Add in quarterback Jayden Daniels — the team’s actual best running threat — sitting out 10 games due to injuries, and the Commanders’ running game was toast.
That shouldn’t be a problem in 2026. Not only do the Commanders get Croskey-Merritt back after a bravura rookie campaign, but they also added arguably the NFL’s top backup running back on a nothing deal, signing Rachaad White away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a 1-year, $2 million contract.
Pro Football Focus singled out signing White as 1 of their “Most Favorite” free agent contracts in the 2026 cycle.
“White signed with the Commanders on a very cheap contract, as he will make just $2 million across one season,” PFF’s Zolton Buday wrote. “He was an above-average running back throughout his career in Tampa Bay, sidelined only because of the emergence of Bucky Irving. The Arizona State product had a limited role in 2025, but he shone on his way to an 87.2 PFF rushing grade, which ranked fourth among all running backs.”
Rachaad White Lost Tons of Money in 2025
White’s frustration with his role in Tampa Bay’s offense came to a head by the end of a disappointing 2025 season in which the Buccaneers went 8-9 overall and missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2019.
Almost immediately following the season, White took to social media to express, pretty clearly, that he was leaving. He may not have realized how much his value had plummeted over the course of 17 games.
White had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2023 and 2024, including a career-high 1,534 yards in 2023, but his numbers plummeted to a career-low 790 yards from scrimmage in 2025.
“Teams shouldn’t look to sign White as their RB1, but he’ll make an excellent third-down option for many clubs,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wrote on December 30. “Expect him to ink a modest contract, likely in the $7 million per year range, with a team that could maximize his talents as a receiving weapon. The Washington Commanders could be an intriguing landing spot for White. The back has a history with quarterback Jayden Daniels—playing together at Arizona State in 2021—and could round out a backfield that has a promising young piece in Jacory Croskey-Merritt but is set to lose both Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols this offseason.”
Rachaad White Playing for Big-Time Money in 2027
The Commanders have another advantage with White in that they will get a player who has never been more motivated to perform at a high level — not that he wasn’t before — but playing on a “prove it” contract for the 1st time in their career usually sparks something in a player.
If he wants inspiration, he can just look at 1 of the running backs in his own division. The Dallas Cowboys signed Javonte Williams to a 1-year, $3 million free-agent contract before the 2025 season.
After Williams reeled off a career-high 1,200 yards in 2025, the Cowboys brought him back on a 3-year, $24 million contract — something not out of the realm of possibility for White in 2027.