Commander Country

Commanders RB Stronger After Being Cut

The Washington Commanders are happy to have one of their running backs return.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 1, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (36) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (36) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington Commanders are happy that they offered running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. a second chance.

Rodriguez, a sixth-round pick by the Commanders in the 2023 NFL Draft, was cut by the team ahead of the 53-man roster deadline out of training camp. He bounced from the practice squad to the active roster throughout the season until he was signed to the 53-man roster on Nov. 9. Two weeks later, he was released, only to come back three days later.

Even though Rodriguez has had ups and downs, Commanders coach Dan Quinn admires his attitude.

"One of the hardest parts of the job is releasing somebody and that happens at the biggest junction as you know, like at the end in the training camp," Quinn said of Rodriguez. "And for some they're going go come back, whether it's on the practice squad or the 53. And for others it's the end of the road. And so, the amount of players that have offered up what's going on here with their teammates, I've tried to share that to them because it's not like that everywhere that they feel a connection of things being different here in a locker room full of people that are pulling in the same direction. And so, I try to share that with them and Chris would be an example of that. How badly he wants to be a part of it here and vice versa.”

With Austin Ekeler likely out for the season, Rodriguez should become a key piece to the Commanders run game behind Brian Robinson Jr.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders Find Unsung Hero in Win vs. Titans

• Commanders Confident Heading Into Bye Week

• Commanders Rediscover Power Presence in Win Over Titans

• Los Angeles Rams Sign Former Washington Commanders First-Round Pick

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/News