Alfred Morris just completed his rookie contract with one of the most productive four-year run of any Redskins running back. But now his future in Washington is unclear.
When Alfred Morris first came into the league in 2012, the Florida Atlantic product made it a goal of his to play his entire NFL career with one team.
For his first four seasons, Morris has not only played for the Washington Redskins, he's been the team's starting running back, and a productive one at that.
But after completing his four-year contract with career lows across the board, Morris is a pending free agent and may no longer be in the team's long-term plans.
"That's still my goal," Morris said of staying with one team, via ESPN.com. "I would love to return, but a lot goes into that. I haven't thought about that. You all keep bringing it up, but we'll see what happens." After setting a franchise record for single-season rushing yards in 2012 with 1,613, Morris has seen his yardage numbers dip each season.
In 2015, Morris ran for just 751 yards on 202 carries with one touchdown.
Instead of being the team's workhorse back, Morris alternated the bulk of carries for most of the season with rookie Matt Jones.
Jones accumulated 144 carries for 490 yards and three touchdowns while being a threat in the passing game, catching 19 balls for 304 yards and an additional touchdown.
On Sunday, Morris ran the ball 11 times for 50 yards in the Redskins' 35-18, season ending loss to the Green Bay Packers in their NFC Wild Card Round matchup at FedExField.
"I'm always appreciative of any opportunities that I get whether it's a negative run, which I don't want, but I just try to do my best to make the most of it today," Morris said after the game. "It just wasn't enough. Like I said, we just didn't make enough plays. We made mistakes, so kudos to their defense for sticking in there because at first we had the momentum on our side and they found a way to shift it. It's unfortunate it resulted in a loss for us today."
A countdown of the top-12 images of RB Alfred Morris during the 2012 season.
No. 12: Dragged Kicking And Screaming. The 200-yard rushing performance by Morris vs. Dallas in Week 17 was a Redskins rookie record and is the first by any Redskins since Gerald Riggs' team-record 221 yards on Sept. 17, 1989, vs. Philadelphia.
No. 11: Morris Makes Something Out Of Nothing. On a day when the Redskins could never get started on offense, Morris still produced 59 yards on just 13 carries on the ground. He lost opportunities in the second half when the team fell behind.
No. 10: The Start Of Something Special. The third preseason game was Morris' first opportunity to start in the NFL, and his performance (10 rushes, 34 yards) made him the front-runner in the preseason competition.
No. 9: Finishing Strong. Morris contributed heavily to the Redskins 28-18 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. Ending the season 10-6, Washington is the first NFL team to rally from 3-6 to make the postseason since the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1996.
No. 8: The Untouchable Alfred Morris. Morris registered his longest rush of the year in Tampa Bay, going 39 yards untouched to put the Redskins up by 18 before halftime. He rushed for 113 yards en route to a 24-22 come-from-behind victory.
No. 7: Three-On-One And Morris Isn't Done. Morris went up against a solid Giants' defensive front in his first NFL division game, and walked away with 120 yards on the day.
No. 6: Morris Makes Wilcox Whiff. Morris went on to tally 200 yards and three scores, leading the way in a Week 17 victory for the NFC East title. This was their first division title win in 13 years.
No. 5: Battle Of The Beltway. Morris rushed for 122 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown vs. Baltimore. With their fourth win in a row, the Redskins marched closer to the playoffs and recorded their first season with six 30-point games since 1996.
No. 4: Can't Stop, Won't Stop. In a game where the offense struggled to keep pace with the high-flying Falcons, Morris exploded for 115 yards on 18 carries.
No. 3: Inter-Division Dominance. Morris broke out his homerun swing against NFC East opponents more than once last season. His Week 12 score put the Redskins up 7-3.
No. 2: Monday Nights Are For Morris. Alfred Morris closed out the game in the critical 17-16 win over the Giants in Week 16. He added 124 yards to his season total, pushing him past 1,000 yards on the season.
No. 1: A-Train Keeps On Rolling. Morris went on to score three touchdowns in the 28-18 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. It was Morris' 13th and final touchdown of the season.
Morris finished the regular season on a roll, as the two-time Pro Bowler rushed for 233 yards over the Redskins' final three games.
Against the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season finale, Morris carried the ball 19 times for 100 yards.
It was his first 100-yard game since rushing for 121 yards in the regular season opener against the Miami Dolphins and the 13th 100-yard game of his career, moving him past Earnest Byner, Terry Allen and George Rogers for sole possession of fifth-most in team history.
"We've never lost faith in Alfred," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said. "We just had some better looks and we've done a better job of blocking for him, a little bit of combination of a lot of things. He's gotten in some rhythm. We've had some leads so we've been able to obviously utilize the running game for four quarters as opposed to two quarters and then abandoning it. With Alfred, now with the addition of Pierre [Thomas], obviously, if Matt is healthy and Chris [Thompson] – we feel like we've got a pretty good group, a stable of running backs there that we can give the ball to and offer something different. Alfred is probably the most steady of all three or all four of them."
If Morris has played his last game for the Redskins, he has finished his career in Washington with 1,078 carries for 4,731 yards (fifth most in franchise history) and 29 touchdowns (seventh most in franchise history).
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