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When is Jacory Croskey-Merritt coming back? Will Jacory Croskey-Merritt play again this season? Read about Jacory Croskey-Merritt return date and injury updates for 2026.
Is Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) on track to return soon?
Croskey-Merritt started the first five games of the 2026 season for the Commanders, but he was forced to go on injured reserve ahead of a Week 6 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers due to a nagging groin injury that was aggravated in a Week 5 tie against the New York Giants.
So, when is Croskey-Merritt expected to return to Washington's lineup, and what is his outlook once he is able to get back on the field? Let's examine.
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Jacory Croskey-Merritt Injury Update for Fantasy Football
The Commanders placed Croskey-Merritt on injured reserve with a groin injury on Oct. 19, prior to the aforementioned Week 6 Monday Night Football game with the 49ers, which Washington lost 23-17.
Croskey-Merritt originally suffered the groin injury in training camp in August. He missed Washington's final two preseason games, but he was able to play for the first five weeks of the 2026 regular season before reinjuring his groin in the previously mentioned 27-27 tie against the Giants in Week 5.
After he was placed on IR, Croskey-Merritt was then required to miss a minimum of four games. Washington has played three games since then: the loss to the 49ers in Week 6, a 27-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8, and, most recently, a 20-13 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Commanders also had a bye week during Week 7. That means that Croskey-Merritt will miss at least one more contest. Washington plays the Giants for Round 2 in a Thursday Night Football matchup in Week 10.
So, the earliest that Croskey-Merritt could return is Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football on Nov. 23. That also gives Croskey-Merritt a few extra days to get healthy and prepared, since the Week 10 game is on a Thursday and the Week 11 game falls on a Monday.
Of note, the Commanders have yet to open the 21-day practice window for Croskey-Merritt, but that could happen at any time, as his potential Week 11 return is quickly approaching.
With that in mind, there is no guarantee that Croskey-Merritt returns for Week 11. There is some optimism, however, from Commanders general manager Adam Peters, who recently said on a radio appearance on 106.7-FM The Fan that the team is "hoping" Croskey-Merritt will be back for the game against the Bengals.
It will be interesting to see if the Commanders open the practice window for Croskey-Merritt leading up to the Week 10 game against the Giants or if Washington opts to wait until Week 11 or later.
It does appear that Croskey-Merritt is progressing as expected and that a Week 11 return is entirely possible. But this situation will need to be watched closely, and nothing is certain.
Adam Peters' Commanders injury updates:
- Hope to have Jer'Zhan Newton back this week and Bill Croskey-Merritt back for the Bengals game in two weeks.
- Dyami Brown tweaked something in practice yesterday, doesn't look great
- Treylon Burks day-to-day, getting closer
@JunksRadio— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) November 6, 2026
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Fantasy Football Outlook
As mentioned, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who is nicknamed "Bill," started the first five games for the Commanders prior to his injury. He played 150 total offensive snaps combined in those five contests.
At the time of his injury, Croskey-Merritt led Washington in rushing yardage with 239 on 67 carries (3.6 yards per carry) and two rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Jayden Daniels currently leads the Commanders in rushing yardage with 252 on 31 carries (8.2 yards per carry) to go along with two rushing touchdowns.
While he was not a big factor in the passing game through five appearances, Croskey-Merritt has recorded five receptions (on seven targets) for 40 yards (8.0 yards per catch) in 2026.
With Croskey-Merritt out of the lineup, the Commanders have relied heavily on running backs Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler. White has played at least 28 offensive snaps in all three games that Croskey-Merritt has missed, including a season-high 46 snaps in Week 6 against the 49ers. In the past two games, Ekeler has played 20 and 28 snaps on offense, respectively.
In the past three games with Croskey-Merritt unavailable, White has totaled 25 carries for 110 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and a touchdown, while adding eight receptions for 76 yards (9.5 yards per catch) and another touchdown.
Ekeler has amassed 17 rushes for 55 yards (3.24 yards per carry) and four catches for 22 yards over the previous three games.
Meanwhile, running back Jeremy McNichols suffered a serious foot injury in Week 8 against Philadelphia and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season.
The Commanders also recently claimed rookie running back Robert Henry Jr. off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks, but he did not see any snaps in his first game with Washington against the Rams in Week 9.
It is probably safe to assume that Croskey-Merritt will resume his normal role and play a significant part in Washington's offense once he returns. There is always the possibility that he could be on a bit of a pitch count during his first game or two back, but he should get a fair amount of touches regardless.
Croskey-Merritt will likely remain the preferred ball-carrier for the Commanders, but will cede some snaps and touches to White. Ekeler will most likely continue to play some sort of role as well. But so long as Croskey-Merritt's workload isn't severely limited upon his initial return, he remains the best fantasy football option in Washington's backfield when he is healthy.
start us off, Bill! 😮💨
📺 #NYGvsWAS FOX https://t.co/u3Yh3uiWwD
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 11, 2026
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Week 10 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Stefon Diggs, Rachaad White, Austin Ekeler, Antonio Williams. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 10.
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