Who Should I Start? Tahj Brooks or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Friday, August 8, 10:53 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks ran for 26 yards off 10 attempts in Thursday's preseason loss to the Eagles. He added one catch (two targets) for three yards. Chase Brown began the contest with the rest of the starters. While Brooks handled the bulk of the touches, he only averaged 2.6 yards per carry. Despite the subpar showing on Thursday night, the 2025 No. 193 overall pick has looked good throughout training camp and appears to have earned the trust of the coaching staff. However, with Brown expected to get the majority of the snaps out of the backfield in 2025, there could be little room for Brooks to remain consistently involved, even if the rookie manages to secure the No. 2 spot on the depth chart over Samaje Perine. With the Bengals dropping their first game of the preseason, the team will look to get on track versus the Commanders on August 18.

Saturday, August 16, 12:10 PM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (shoulder) was wearing a non-contact jersey in Saturday's training camp practice, according to Ben Standig. Croskey-Merritt only took part in individual drills at practice as he works through a minor shoulder injury. The 24-year-old seventh-rounder suffered the shoulder injury in the preseason opener last week against the New England Patriots, when he carried the ball seven times for 24 yards while catching his only target for eight yards. He has been impressive during camp as he competes for a depth role in Washington's backfield behind Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. Croskey-Merritt's primary competition for a 53-man roster spot this summer are Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. From all accounts, Croskey-Merritt has done enough so far to make the team.