![Jacksonville Jaguars Running Back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (24) carries the ball during the fourth day of NFL Training Camp in shells at the Miller Electric Center on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_64,w_1173,h_659/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/55/01kz45daabjwkyh71v6b.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars Running Back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (24) carries the ball during the fourth day of NFL Training Camp in shells at the Miller Electric Center on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
The Jacksonville Jaguars entered free agency with a deliberate approach, focusing on signing their own players rather than making a splash. That said, they did sign running back Chris Rodriguez, and precisely because he was their only external addition, he's been getting the spotlight the past few months.
The issue is that Rodriguez missed the offseason after suffering a foot injury earlier this year. That only added to the pressure. The good news is that the Riverdale, Georgia native was back for the start of training camp, albeit in a limited capacity.
But the coaching staff has steadily ramped up Rodriguez's workload, and he was finally able to show why Jacksonville brought him in to complement Bhayshul Tuten.
Chris Rodriguez is making his presence felt at Jaguars training camp
Chris Rodriguez practiced with the team on Day 5 of training camp, their first padded practice of the year. He wasted no time turning heads, ramming safety Caleb Ransaw during team drills.
After practice, head coach Liam Coen met with the local media. He said he was pleased with Chris Rodriguez's performance, noting that the team is trying to be smart in his return from the foot injury.
"Yeah, he did what you think he's gonna do in a way, right? I mean, I don't think he meant to necessarily lower his shoulder on Caleb. It just was one of those hits, and yeah, he showed up, which is kind of what you're hoping," Coen told reporters. "I think he was feeling better. He's continuously getting better, and we're just trying to be smart with all right, getting him to work, getting him acclimated, while not trying to aggravate it, knowing that we're so early on, and I know he was excited about getting the pads on."
Rodriguez only did individual work to start training camp but had a few carries with the team on Day 4. After the padded practice, the Jags will rest a few days before resuming practice, so he'll have a chance to continue recovering.
Below is Coen's full exchange with the Jacksonville press corps. His remarks about Rodriguez start at the 0:27 mark.
Chris Rodriguez will be a big piece of the Jaguars offense
Travis Etienne was a productive player for the Jaguars last year, which is why they've been getting a lot of flak for letting him walk in free agency. That said, the former Clemson Tiger struggled to get the tough yards in short-yardage situations. Moreover, his rate of explosive plays was below the league's average. This is where Chris Rodriguez comes in.
Not only did it take only $10 million to sign Rodriguez, but advanced stats also show that he's a more productive running back than Etienne. Once he's back at full strength, he'll be a perfect complement to Bhayshul Tuten's home-run ability and will help fix the team's stink from last year. For the time being, though, Jacksonville is trying not to rush him back in action.
But based on Chris Rodriguez's brief sample in training camp, he's everything the Jaguars bargained for and then some.
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