We have finally arrived at a regular-season game week. And there is a lot at stake for the Washington Commanders as they look to build on their phenomenal 2024 campaign.
Reaching the NFC Championship game in Year 1 of head coach Dan Quinn's tenure was a remarkable accomplishment. It was a genuine Cinderella story that captivated the imagination of fans and also made the league sit up and take notice of this perennial struggler once again.
The Commanders had positive national headlines for the first time in years. There was a fresh injection of energy across the franchise, and it left fans hoping this was just the start of a prosperous new era for the club.
Maintaining or enhancing these new standards is the difficult part. The Commanders have made some aggressive moves this offseason. But if Quinn wants his squad to go on another deep postseason run in 2025, he needs some younger players to enhance their contributions.
With this in mind, here are six Commanders breakout stars that the league isn't ready for in 2025.
Commanders breakout stars the NFL isn’t ready for in 2025
Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr.
We'll put Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr. together, as the running back duo has the same opportunity in front of them this season. With the Washington Commanders trading former starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers, one can expect to see this pairing come to the fore alongside veteran Austin Ekeler.
This will probably be a committee approach. The Commanders will rely heavily on Ekeler's experience over the early stages of the campaign. Rodriguez will be the short-yardage and red-zone back, based on Quinn's comments over the preseason. Croskey-Merritt could be the change-of-pace option after the seventh-round rookie gained significant momentum over the summer.
It's a testament to Rodriguez and Croskey-Merritt's development that the Commanders felt comfortable enough trading Robinson, who'd accumulated 365 carries over the last two seasons. His inability to create explosive plays was the deciding factor, which is something Kliff Kingsbury wants to improve in pursuit of becoming a more balanced offensive unit.
Tempering expectations is becoming difficult. There might be some rough times, especially for Croskey-Merritt, during his transition to a regular-season setting. But the Commanders have placed a substantial amount of faith in the backfield tandem to potentially become a long-term punch for the team to depend upon.
If they can meet loftier goals, that's going to help considerably.