With training camp getting closer, one of the biggest questions in Jacksonville is simple: who carries the load at running back now that Travis Etienne is gone?
Etienne’s 1,100-plus yards of production are off the table with him now in New Orleans, and the Jaguars have to figure out how to replace that output. The answer, at least on paper, looks less like one featured back and more like a committee.
Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez are expected to handle most of the carries, while LeQuint Allen should keep working in the passing game on obvious passing downs. That setup would give Jacksonville a different kind of backfield than the one it leaned on last season, when Etienne was the clear No. 1 option.
If the Jaguars do split things up that way, there’s at least a recent blueprint worth watching. The 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Liam Coen used a similar rotation, with Bucky Irving getting 224 carries, Rachaad White 145, and Sean Tucker 50.
The appeal of the new group is pretty clear. Rodriguez brings a physical edge.
Tuten has the kind of speed that can turn a crease into a big play. Both can create yards on their own rather than simply taking what’s blocked.
Allen, meanwhile, already stands out as a strong pass protector and should have a chance to contribute more as a receiver.
That ability to create is especially important for Tuten and Rodriguez, since ESPN’s Seth Walder noted earlier this offseason that it’s an area where Jacksonville’s running back room can improve.
Of course, the backs won’t be doing it alone. Better play up front in the run game will matter too. But the bigger storyline is whether Tuten and Rodriguez can step into larger roles quickly enough to help shape how effective the Jaguars’ offense is in 2026.
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The bigger subplot for Jacksonville was how Lawrence stacked up against familiar company. He finished ahead of Baker Mayfield for the second straight day, while Larry Fitzgerald was the best performer in their group and landed well in front of both quarterbacks. For a player still shaping the Jaguars next chapter, even an offseason event like this can carry a little extra meaning when the competition includes names fans know so well. [Read more 🡒]