It took Chris Rodriguez 1 week of training camp to make Jaguars look brilliant

It took a while, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are finally seeing what running back Chris Rodriguez can do after signing him to a two-year deal worth $10 million in free agency.

A sixth-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2023, Rodriguez was brought in to help replace running back Travis Etienne, who bolted for the New Orleans Saints in free agency. The issue is that the former Kentucky Wildcat missed the offseason program with a foot injury, so he had to wait for his chance to showcase what he could do. He hasn't disappointed.

Although Rodriguez only did individual drills to start training camp, the coaching staff has progressively increased his workload. In his first practice with the team, he turned heads when he trucked safety Caleb Ransaw. And after a day of rest, the fourth-year running back showed his ability to grind yards.

Chris Rodriguez is showing his physicality at Jaguars training camp

John Shipley of Sports Illustrated attended Day 7 of Jaguars training camp and said that Chris Rodriguez stood out, noting that he managed to create positive gains on every single one of his carries. Here's the skinny.

"Rodriguez stood out when rushing in team drills on the first day of pads on Monday because of the way he was able to churn out yards after contact," Shipley wrote. "That is exactly what he seemed to do on Thursday, with every carry going for positive yards and with Rodriguez easily getting the Jaguars out of their own end zone."

Shipley continued, "It is clear the Jaguars see Rodriguez as a power back who can aid them in those kind of situations, which means he might pretty easily be their top option when it comes to goal-line carries -- a role Bhayshul Tuten played last season."

One day later in the scrimmage, Rodriguez showcased his run-blocking skills and his shiftiness, according to Mia O'Brien of ESPN Radio. Even though Bhayshul Tuten will be the No. 1 option in the backfield, Rodriguez could also have a substantial workload.

The Jaguars are getting bang for their buck with Chris Rodriguez

Thus far, Chris Rodriguez has been everything the Jaguars bargained for and then some. Sure, his numbers in 2025 don't pop off the stat sheet at first sight. He logged 500 yards with six touchdowns on 112 carries. But one look at his advanced stats shows why Jacksonville wants him to get the football in short-yardage situations.

Rodriguez ranked second among 48 running backs last year with an average of 4.0 yards after contact per attempt. Similarly, his rushing success rate of 45.5 percent was eighth. Meanwhile, Etienne struggled in short-yardage situations, and his rate of explosive plays was below the league's average.

This is a long-winded way to say that Rodriguez should help Jacksonville fix the running game, which head coach Liam Coen has previously called the team's stink from 2025.

At the time, nobody would have blamed you if you thought the Jaguars should have kept Travis Etienne. After all, he was a mainstay of the offense the last four years. But as productive as he was during his stint in Duval, the team's brass knew the running back needed a boost. Moreover, they weren't going to match the four-year, $52 million deal he signed with the Saints.

With Travis Etienne out of the picture, the Jaguars pivoted to Chris Rodriguez, and based on the early returns, he will most definitely meet expectations.

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