Commanders Rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt Ruled Out for Monday Night Football

The Washington Commanders are officially putting rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt on ice for Monday night's showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.

ESPN's Adam Schefter relayed the news from John Keim that a lingering groin injury will keep the seventh-round breakout on the sideline. If you were banking on him to save your fantasy matchup on Monday night, it is time to hit the waiver wire and pray.

Croskey-Merritt has been one of the weirdest rollercoasters of the season. He has flashed serious juice, racking up 239 yards and a couple of touchdowns on 67 carries. But he has also been handing the ball to the other team like it is a promotional giveaway, including a brutal fumble against the Chicago Bears that completely flipped the momentum of that game.

Playing through a groin injury as a running back sounds about as enjoyable as doing squats in a pair of wet jeans. He aggravated a preseason issue recently, and Washington is finally doing the smart thing by shutting him down instead of forcing him out there at less than full speed.

This leaves the Commanders backfield looking like a triage unit. Rachaad White is dealing with a shoulder issue, and Austin Ekeler has a chest injury. Trying to figure out who gets the goal-line carries against a heavy 49ers defensive front is the kind of prop-bet nightmare that ruins a perfectly good Monday night, especially if practice-squad guys like Craig Reynolds have to get elevated just to take some hits.

The silver lining here is the schedule. Washington heads into a Week 7 bye right after this San Francisco trip. That gives Croskey-Merritt two full weeks to get his lower body right and figure out how to hold onto the football before the Commanders face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8.