The Jacksonville Jaguars caught lots of heat across the NFL for choosing to sit out free agency, opting instead to focus on re-signing their own players. To their credit, they did ink running back Chris Rodriguez to a two-year deal worth $10 million. While the signing didn't send shockwaves, it low-key gave the Jags an undervalued piece to complement their backfield.
That said, Rodriguez suffered a leg injury at some point of the offseason and didn't participate in Organized Team Activities or minicamp. It was reported that he would return for training camp, and it seems like he will.
The Jaguars will indeed get Chris Rodriguez back for training camp
The Jaguars placed offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start training camp, but Chris Rodriguez didn't. That's a sign he will be in attendance. To what extent, it remains to be seen. The former Georgia Bulldog may not be back at full strength yet and may need a bit more time to hit his stride, but he'll have a prime opportunity to get up to speed.
Working in Rodriguez's favor is that he previously played for head coach Liam Coen when he was the offensive coordinator at Kentucky, so he has familiarity with his system. In fact, he had his best season with the Wildcats under Coen, racking up 1,379 yards with nine touchdowns on 225 carries in 2021.
Chris Rodriguez is expected to give the Jaguars running game a boost
In Jacksonville, Chris Rodriguez is expected to complement Bhayshul Tuten, who'll step into the RB1 job after Travis Etienne signed with the New Orleans Saints in the offseason. On paper, that doesn't look like a good idea, as his numbers don't pop off the stat sheet.
Rodriguez, a sixth-round pick by the Washington Commanders in 2023, doesn't have much experience, amassing 198 carries for 920 yards with 10 touchdowns the past three seasons. Last year, though, he toted the rock a career-high 112 times for 500 yards with six touchdowns. That's not the kind of production that will get a fanbase hyped up, but his traditional stats don't tell the full story.
Advanced statistics show that Rodriguez's average of 4.0 yards after contact per attempt was the second best among 48 running backs in 2025. Similarly, his rushing success rate of 45.5 percent ranked eighth. If the Riverdale, Georgia native can have that kind of efficiency in Duval, the running game won't miss a beat without Travis Etienne.
And that's the thing, Etienne racked up lots of yards during his stint and was a valuable offensive piece with the Jags. Nobody will deny that, but he was a volume runner whose rate of explosive plays was below the league's average. Similarly, he struggled to gain the tough yards in short-yardage situations. This is why Jacksonville let him bolt and brought in Rodriguez to fix what was the team's stink in 2025.
Now, Chris Rodriguez won't suddenly run for 1,000 yards, but he'll help the Jaguars move the chains and form a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield alongside Bhayshul Tuten.
Being available for the start of training camp will certainly allow him accomplish that.
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