Chris Rodriguez Jr. impressed the members of the Command Center podcast in Monday's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"He came into training camp in really good shape. In the Burgundy and Gold scrimmage last week, he was one of the more impressive players. Physicality, the pass protection, he's just stuck with it and my journey was really similar to that," said analyst Logan Paulsen.

Rodriguez, drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, has continued to make contributions to the team throughout his career despite playing in a completely different culture than the one that originally drafted him.

Paulsen, a 10-year NFL veteran who was on-and-off many different rosters throughout his career, added, "I really like C-Rod. Last year, his story was great. He got cut, he got re-signed."

Former Washington defensive back Fred Smoot reinforced Paulsen's points on Rodriguez saying, "He will not take 'no' for an answer."

Rodriguez led Washington in rushing yards in Washington's second preseason game against the Bengals. He racked up six attempts for 62 rush yards and made his presence known even alongside rookie standout running back Bill Croskey-Merritt.

"It's awesome; it shows a 'stick-to-it-ness,' it shows the professionalism," Paulsen added, "It was great to see him. I'm not saying he's going to start, I don't know what's going to happen, but it was great to take advantage of the moment"

In week one of the preseason against the New England Patriots, Rodriguez made 6 attempts for 22 yards. With the cut-throat nature of the preseason for second and third-string guys on the roster, these games are crucial to make an impression.

"Some dreams are going to end next weekend; some are just starting," Smoot said.

Last season, Rodriguez played in nine games and totaled 35 rushes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. In 2023, he was the first Washington rookie running back to rush for two touchdowns in a single game since Antonio Gibson in 2020.