Player
Chris Rodriguez Jr.
RB · Commanders
A 6th-round back buried behind a veteran for two years finally got volume — and delivered on the efficiency his YPC always hinted at.
Year 3 unlock: 112 carries, 500 rushing yards, 6 rushing TDs — more than Years 1 and 2 combined.
TrendCRod by season
| Season | G | Car | RushYds | YPC | RushTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 | 51 | 247 | 4.84 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 | 35 | 173 | 4.94 | 2 |
| 2025 | 12 | 112 | 500 | 4.46 | 6 |
The unlock had a clear cause: Brian Robinson — Washington's starter who carried the ball 178 and 187 times in the two prior seasons — signed with San Francisco in 2025. Rodriguez inherited the role outright. The volume jumped from a combined 86 carries in two years to 112 carries in 12 games (9.3/g), and the TD count tripled: 6 in 2025 after 4 combined in 2023-24.
Rushing yards by season
| Season | RushYds |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 247 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 500 |
Why it matters. A 6th-round back buried behind a veteran for two years finally got volume — and delivered on the efficiency his YPC always hinted at.
Highest TD rate in Washington's 2025 backfield: 5.4% TD/carry vs 4.6% for Croskey-Merritt — on 112 carries.
SplitWAS RB TD efficiency 2025
| RB | Car | RushTD | TD rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rodriguez Jr. | 112 | 6 | 5.4% |
| Croskey-Merritt | 175 | 8 | 4.6% |
| McNichols | 44 | 1 | 2.3% |
In a committee backfield where Jacory Croskey-Merritt led the team in carries (175 vs 112), Rodriguez scored at a higher rate per touch — 5.4% TD/carry vs 4.6%. That gap held over real volume: both backs had 100+ carries. Washington was routing end-zone opportunities to Rodriguez more than his raw carry share would suggest, making him the room's most efficient scorer despite not being the featured back.
Why it matters. In a split backfield, the back who earns the goal-line touches is the one with genuine scoring upside — CRod has that edge over the higher-volume JCM.
Scored a rushing TD in 6 different 2025 games — half of his appearances.
Rare2025 TD games
| Week | Opp | Car | RushYds | RushTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | DAL | 3 | 12 | 1 |
| 9 | SEA | 12 | 65 | 1 |
| 10 | DET | 6 | 16 | 1 |
| 13 | DEN | 11 | 41 | 1 |
| 16 | PHI | 15 | 63 | 1 |
| 18 | PHI | 16 | 65 | 1 |
Rodriguez found the end zone in 6 of 12 games in 2025 — a 50% TD-game rate. His goal-line role shows in the range: 3 of his 6 scoring games came with fewer than 10 carries (Weeks 7 with 3 car, 10 with 6 car, 13 with 11 car under 50 yards), meaning Washington used him specifically near the end zone even when he wasn't the featured back that week. The other 3 scores came in 12-16 carry performances where he was clearly the lead.
Why it matters. A back who scores in half his appearances regardless of total workload has proven goal-line value beyond his raw carry count.
10 rushing TDs in 3 seasons — 2nd most among 6th-round-or-later RBs in the 2020-2023 draft classes.
Milestone6th+ round RBs, first 3 seasons (2020-2023 draft classes)
| RB | Round | Car | RushYds | RushTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isiah Pacheco | 7th | — | 2,075 | 13 |
| Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 6th | 198 | 920 | 10 |
| Elijah Mitchell | 6th | — | 1,523 | 9 |
| Khalil Herbert | 6th | — | 1,775 | 8 |
Among RBs drafted in the 6th round or later from the 2020-2023 classes, only Isiah Pacheco (a 7th-rounder who became KC's starter) has more rushing TDs through his first three seasons. Rodriguez's 10 edge out Elijah Mitchell (9) and Khalil Herbert (8) — both established NFL contributors. The difference: Rodriguez reached 10 TDs on just 198 career carries, while Mitchell and Herbert needed 500+ each.
Why it matters. Elite TD-scoring efficiency among late-round backs is rare; it signals Washington trusts him in short-yardage and red-zone situations that define starting-caliber value.
Back-to-back 15-carry games against the Eagles in Weeks 16 and 18 — both with rushing TDs.
AnomalyFinal stretch vs PHI
| Week | Car | RushYds | RushTD | Rec | RecYds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 vs PHI | 15 | 63 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 at PHI | 16 | 65 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
Two division games to close 2025, two near-identical lines: 15-63-1 and 16-65-1. The symmetry is striking — same opponent, same volume, same result in both home and road settings. Combined: 31 rushes, 128 yards (4.13 YPC), 2 TDs, 2 catches for 24 yards. These were Weeks 16 and 18 — the two most critical games on Washington's schedule — and Rodriguez delivered his most consistent back-to-back performance of the season in both.
Why it matters. High-pressure consistency against a division rival in the season's final stretch is the profile of a back who earns trust when it matters most.
FanIQ answers any NFL stats question with receipts, on your phone.
Get FanIQ freeGet it on Google Play