Commanders Running Back Battle Just Took an Interesting Turn

Washington Commanders running back Robert Henry Jr. was able to take full advantage of the opportunity that Friday night's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins gave him. The undrafted rookie rushed 12 times for 75 yards and a touchdown, not too bad for a guy who was projected outside the final 53 just a few days ago when Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Kaytron Allen, and Jeremy McNichols occupied the four running-back spots. McNichols' absence essentially gave Henry the chance he needed.

The competition is far from over, but the Dolphins matchup supplied legitimate game evidence that makes Washington’s previous four-back projection considerably harder to defend without another look.

Having 75 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown run in preseason, may not be numbers that grab your attention, but the 6.3 yards per carry should. Henry also earned a 72.5 overall offensive grade and 73.0 rushing grade from Pro Football Focus, making him Washington’s seventh-highest-graded offensive player in the game. Seeing him on special teams, returning a kick for 30 yards, was good to see, since players fighting for the fourth running back position need to be familiar with and be able to participate on special teams.

Where can I buy Robert Henry Jr. stock as a major sleeper? Some impressive work last night.

12 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD pic.twitter.com/7To6CfOV0B
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) August 15, 2026

Dan Quinn noticed the way Henry handled the increased responsibility after the game. "As far as Robert goes, he and Kaytron both, I thought, had a nice night," Quinn said. "Also, Jerome Ford went out. We had three backs for the game, and so when Jerome was out, there was really no flinch from these guys playing on teams, returning, and so that was a good sign."

Kaytron Allen Is Still Part of the Squeeze

Kaytron Allen's 23 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown are another reason Washington's running back decision remains crowded. Allen handled 45 offensive snaps, more than twice Henry’s workload, including 23 rushing snaps, making his performance more about sustaining a heavy workload than producing the same per-snap efficiency Henry did. Allen finished with a 56.0 overall offensive grade and 61.7 rushing grade, well below Henry’s 72.5 and 73.0 PFF grades. Allen just put an exclamation point on a roster case that was already developing during camp, while Henry is the player who introduced a new name into the four-back equation.

Not sure why people are glorifying Kaytron Allen getting 23 carries for 85 yards (3.7 YPC) in a preseason game.

No player with 23 plus carries in a preseason game has rushed for fewer yards than Allen over at least the last dozen years. Does not happen often. Many players who… pic.twitter.com/6uT4r2ascl
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) August 15, 2026

Jeremy McNichols did not suit up for the Dolphins game, nor did he participate in the last few days of camp practice. McNichols could lose his spot if his injury lingers, although the trust the team already has in him will likely buy him enough time to compete. McNichols carries weight beyond that trust because the team knows his veteran reliability, familiarity with the offense, and proven ability to handle different responsibilities are hard traits to replace.

Friday was just one game against another team's backups, not the weeks of work of this offseason and training camp. It was also a good gauge of where the personnel is currently. That said, the game changed Henry’s situation completely because he now owns both productive game tape and a favorable independent film grade to go with the practice evaluation Washington already had. The next checkpoint in this battle will be Detroit; if Henry can add another efficient rushing performance and continued special-teams work, it will be much harder to dismiss Miami as a one-night breakout.

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