There was a time, just 2 years ago, when running back Rachaad White saw his value skyrocket to the point he was being talked about as a player who might reset the market for his position.
When White finally became a free agent in March, he wound up with the Washington Commanders on a 1-year, $2 million contract. That could end up being an incredible bargain for his new team.
“There is an interesting battle brewing in the Washington Commanders‘ running back room,” Riggo’s Rag’s Dean Jones wrote on June 19. “Several viable candidates are looking to make their presence felt, and there is no clear-cut frontrunner right now. The final day of minicamp saw him emerge as the standout offensive player, according to reports … he performed well for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gaining 4,106 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns over his four years in the NFC South.”
Before the 2024 season, after he put up over 1,500 yards of total offense in 2023, White’s value on the open market was thought to be approaching $10 million per season.
Before the 2025 season, and even after losing his starting job on the Buccaneers to rookie Bucky Irving, White was still getting projections in the range of $7 million to $5 million per year because he was still able to top 1,000 yards of total offense while splitting snaps.
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.
Commanders Made Disastrous RB Trade in 2025
The Commanders seemed to have a deep stable of running backs in 2025 with 3 sturdy veterans in Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson, and Chris Rodriguez, along with 7th-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Things went sideways pretty quickly. The Commanders liked Croskey-Merritt enough in training camp that they hastily traded Robinson, arguably their best running back, to the San Francisco 49ers.
That ended up being a mistake. Ekeler tore his Achilles tendon in the 1st month of the season, and Washington’s leading rusher from 2024, quarterback Jayden Daniels, missed 10 games due to injuries. Croskey-Merritt (805 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns) and Rodriguez (500 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns) did a valiant job of trying to keep things afloat, but the Commanders still ended up going 5-12.
That’s why they went out and not only signed White, but also signed free-agent running back Jerome Ford to a 1-year, $1.4 million contract.
Ford, 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, was a 5th-round pick (No. 156 overall) out of the University of Cincinnati in 2022 and had a career-high 1,132 yards of total offense and 9 touchdowns for the Cleveland Browns in 2023.
Commanders Praised for White’s Team-Friendly Deal
Pro Football Focus singled out White’s contract as their “Most Favorite” free agent deal 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.”
Forgotten Commanders Free Agent Gains Steam in RB Battle