Should I Start Rachaad White?

Wednesday, June 10, 5:13 AM

In his four years with the Buccaneers, Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White never caught fewer than 40 passes in a season, and with a one-year free agent contract bringing him to the nation's capital for 2026, the belief is that he will inherit the primary pass-catching role that was intended for Austin Ekeler over the past two seasons. Ekeler signed a two-year deal in 2024, but a serious concussion in 2024 and an early Achilles injury in 2025 limited him to just 14 games with the Commanders. That said, he still gathered in 40 total receptions in his abbreviated stint and saw at least three targets in nine of those 14 games. 2026 sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen never caught more than 18 passes in any of his four collegiate seasons, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt was limited to nine grabs as a rookie, leaving Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols, neither of whom is a roster lock at this point, as the most credible obstacles to a dedicated receiving role for White.