The Washington Commanders are gearing up for a Christmas Day matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. However, the Commanders may be forced into battle without a key running back.
Chris Rodriguez Jr was added to the injury report on Thursday with an illness. He is now listed as question, via the team's X, formerly Twitter account.
Being added to the injury report on gameday is never a good sign. At least Rodriguez is dealing with an illness, rather than a full-blown long-term issue. Still, the Commanders will be keeping close tabs on the running back all the way up to kickoff.
Over the 12 games he has appeared in this season, including seven starts, Rodriguez has set new career-highs in rushing attempts (96), yardage (435) and touchdowns (five). When Austin Ekeler suffered his season-ending injury, Rodriguez was thrust into a much larger role.
He is still behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt on the depth chart, as the rookie leads Washington in all rushing categories. However, the Commanders have been trying to get Rodriguez even more involved in the offense. The running back received 15 carries in the Commanders' last matchup – against the Philadelphia Eagles – which tied his season-best. Rodriguez ran for 63 yards and a touchdown.
If fully healthy, Washington would certainly want to see if Rodriguez could repeat his success. At 4-11, the Commanders are playing for pride and development. At only 26-years-old, Rodriguez is looking to prove he belongs in the offense. But if the running back's illness doesn't clear up by the time innactives come up, Rodriguez may not get that chance on Christmas Day.
Update: Rodriguez has officially been ruled out, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Commanders are sure to dole out plenty of Croskey-Merritt on Christmas Day. Moving forward, Washington will continue to evaluate the running back and hope his illness leads to just a one-week absence.
