Washington

New Washington Commanders Culture Focusing on ‘Us’ Says RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Published

2 years ago

June 7, 2024

New Washington Commanders Culture Focusing on ‘Us’ Says RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.

ASHBURN, Va. — The new Washington Commanders regime didn’t draft running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., but they’re going to benefit from arguably the last best pick the last group of decision-makers made.

A more physical, aggressive, play style from the Commanders offense under head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury suits Rodriguez’s playing style well. Something he proved despite limited opportunity in his rookie season in 2023.

READ MORE: Commanders ‘Most Improved’ in NFL?

Following OTA practice this week we caught up with the young Washington back and he had an interesting description of the new feeling around the team these days.

‘It’s a lot of ‘us’. They brought in a lot of leaders I would say,” Rodriguez said. “For instance, you got Bobby (Wagner), you got (Frankie Luvu), you got Zach Ertz, you got a lot of people. A lot of people are stepping up.”

Nobody would be wrong to be surprised about a player commenting on the ‘us’ approach being new and feeling refreshing. Football is the ultimate team sport, after all.

Dec 24, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (23) celebrates a second half touchdown against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s different when you want to go to war with your brother, so you can preach all day like, ‘Oh, that’s my brother. We’re on the same team.’ But it’s different when you get close to those guys.”
– Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders RB

But when money and livelihoods get involved the inspiration to work, play, and put in effort for others can become compromised.

The challenge for any organizational leader then becomes finding a way to not only connect with your players, but find a way to get them to connect with each other in a way that transcends simply wearing the same uniforms.

In that vein, Rodriguez shared with us that the locker room looks a bit different these days, and it’s going a long way to providing players a way to invest in players outside of your specific group.

“You’re not just next to the running backs, you’re not just next to the quarterbacks. It’s different,” Rodriguez said. “So getting to meet those dudes, getting to talk to the o-line more…I feel like it’s different when you want to go to war with your brother, so you can preach all day like, ‘Oh, that’s my brother. We’re on the same team.’ But it’s different when you get close to those guys.”

READ MORE: Jayden Daniels Culture Fit Most Important in NFL Draft Evaluation

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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Washington

Tulip Day Washington draws buzz as sign-up site goes down

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON – Coming up this month, spring’s most colorful new event: Tulip Day Washington.

What we know:

On March 15, 2026, Tulip Day Washington will transform DC’s National Mall into a vibrant tulip-picking garden beautiful views of U.S. Capitol

This one-day event will take place from 11:15 AM – 4:15 PM, offering a floral showcase of approximately 150,000 tulips; visitors are invited to pick their choice of 10 tulips for free upon arrival.

Dig deeper:

The registration site for Tulip Day is currently down, showing users “This site is currently unavailable. If you’re the owner of this website, please contact your hosting provider to get this resolved.”

Users on social media say the event may be sold out.

Check tulipday.eu for updates.

The backstory:

The event is organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Royal Anthos, a Dutch trade association, in honor of America’s 250th birthday. The display of tulips will be in the shape of the number 250.

The bulbs come from the Netherlands, but are being grown in Virginia and New Jersey.

These won’t be the first tulips on the National Mall, however. The Floral Library, also known as the Tulip Library, features 93 beds of flowers near the Tidal Basin. The Floral Library was established in 1969, and is maintained by the National Park Services. These flowers, though, are to be enjoyed only – not to be picked.

Things To Do in the DMVNewsWashington, D.C.

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Washington

PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball

Published

18 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball

The562’s coverage of Dirtbags Baseball for the 2026 season is sponsored by P2S, Inc. Visit p2sinc.com to learn more.

Long Beach State dropped a 9-7 decision against Washington State on Sunday afternoon, closing out a busy weekend on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

The visiting Cougars took the lead for good in the eighth inning when Long Beach Poly grad Ryan Skjonsby delivered a game-winning two-run single with two outs and the bases loaded. Skjonsby was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and three RBIs for Washington State in their road victory.

For the Dirtbags, catcher Damon Valdez scored twice and had a key two-run single in the sixth to help lead a Long Beach comeback. Trevor Goldenetz had a pair of hits at the top of the order, including an RBI triple. Camden Gasser walked twice and singled, improving his on-base percentage to .574 on the season.

Long Beach State (4-7) will be back in action at home on Tuesday with an exhibition match against Waseda University from Japan. The Dirtbags will then visit San Diego State on Wednesday and open Big West play at UC Santa Barbara this weekend.

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Washington

Week Ahead in Washington: March 1

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Operation “Epic Fury” — the weekend military operations carried out by the U.S. and Israel against targets in Iran — tops the agenda for Congress as lawmakers return to Washington.

Sunday, President Donald Trump said the new leadership in Iran wants to talk to the Trump Administration.

Democrats in both chambers called for Congress to return as soon as possible for classified briefings on Iran, followed by a move to vote on the War Powers Act. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war on another country.

Congress’ return to Washington was originally delayed due to the start of the 2026 midterm elections cycle.

Tuesday, voters in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas head to the polls for primary elections.

North Carolina and Texas are drawing significant attention, as both states are facing congressional redistricting and competitive primary races for Senate seats.

In Texas, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) is facing primary challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. On the Democratic side, Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing state Rep. James Talarico.

In North Carolina, candidates are vying to replacing retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R) . They include former Governor Roy Cooper (D) and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.

Also this week, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is laid to rest. He will be honored Wednesday in Washington before a final memorial service Saturday. Jackson died Feb. 17.

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