Chris Rodriguez Jr. kept producing for Washington, but it still wasn’t enough to lock down a long-term place with the Commanders. Now the former sixth-round pick is in Jacksonville, and one NFL analyst thinks the move could set up a breakout.
Rodriguez, 25, was drafted by Washington in 2023 under the previous regime. As a rookie, he got limited work and still managed 51 carries for 247 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. When Adam Peters and Dan Quinn took over in 2024, he looked like a roster fit, only to be waived at final cuts and brought back to the practice squad.
His role grew during the 2024 season. Rodriguez was elevated for Washington’s Week 9 win over the Giants and ran 11 times for 53 yards.
He was later signed to the 53-man roster, waived again, and re-signed to the practice squad before returning to the active roster and posting a career-best line against the Titans: 13 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. He finished that second NFL season with nine appearances, 35 carries, 173 yards and three scores, good for 4.9 yards per carry.
The 2025 season was the one that finally looked like a real breakthrough. After coaches praised his offseason work, Rodriguez made the 53-man roster and played in 13 games, starting seven. He finished with career highs of 500 rushing yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per rush.
Even that wasn’t enough to keep him in Washington. Rodriguez entered the offseason as a restricted free agent, but the Commanders chose not to tender him, sending him to unrestricted free agency. Jacksonville moved quickly and signed him to a two-year, $10 million deal with $6.2 million guaranteed.
The Jaguars had a built-in connection to him. Head coach Liam Coen was Kentucky’s offensive coordinator in 2021, when Rodriguez was a junior and put together a huge season. He earned second-team All-SEC honors after rushing for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns.
Washington’s backfield looks very different now. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is back after leading the Commanders with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in a part-time role last season.
Jeremy McNichols also returns. The team let Rodriguez and Austin Ekeler walk, then added Rachaad White, who is expected to compete with Croskey-Merritt for carries.
Washington also signed Jerome Ford and drafted Kaytron Allen.
Rodriguez’s case was pretty simple: when Washington called his number, he delivered. He was strong in short-yardage situations, didn’t fumble, and became a useful late-game option.
He also worked to improve his speed and contributed on special teams. Still, the Commanders moved on.
That decision is what Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon is betting Jacksonville will benefit from. In one of his eight bold training camp predictions, Gagnon picked Rodriguez to become a star for the Jaguars.
Rodriguez has already been drawing attention in his first offseason with his old Kentucky coach. He quietly averaged 4.6 yards per carry in Washington and scored seven touchdowns in 2025, and Gagnon pointed to another eye-catching stat: the 25-year-old led qualified NFC backs with 3.0 yards per carry after contact last season.
Gagnon also believes the next step could come fast. He suggested Rodriguez could put together a big August, return from a foot injury, and win the RB1 job in camp and the preseason.
Jacksonville does have Bhayshul Tuten in the mix, but the expectation is that the Jaguars already have a clear role in mind for Rodriguez. Whether that becomes a true breakout remains to be seen, but the move gives him a fresh start in a place that may value him more than Washington did.
In Other News...
Travon Walker Faces His Biggest Jaguars Season Yet
Travon Walkers next season already carries a different kind of weight in Jacksonville. The former No. 1 overall pick has backed up the draft pedigree with production, posting double-digit sacks in each of the last two years before landing a four-year extension in April, and now he heads into 2026 with something he has not always had in the past: a full offseason to build on what he has already shown.
There is also a sense around the Jaguars that the arrow is still pointing up. Walker is back in the same defensive framework, and reports out of the offseason program have suggested he is looking even sharper, which only raises the stakes for a player the organization has already invested heavily in. For Jacksonville, the question is no longer whether Walker can be a centerpiece, but how much more disruptive he can become when the season starts for real. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Camp Battle Could Force A Tough Backfield Decision
Training camp is about to sort out a Jaguars backfield that already looks crowded at the top. Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez and LeQuint Allen all appear to have strong paths onto the roster, giving Jacksonville a trio that offers different skill sets and enough depth to make the summer competition worth watching closely.
The bigger question is whether the Jaguars will stop there or leave room for an extra runner by shaving another spot elsewhere. A fourth back would make sense only if someone separates himself during camp, but the more likely outcome is Jacksonville keeping things tight and using those roster spots to help the rest of the team. For now, the final call still belongs to what happens over the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]