Even though Travis Etienne left in free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't add a single running back in the 2026 NFL Draft. Sure, they signed rookie free agent J'Mari Taylor in the aftermath, but you could make the case that they should've made further moves to bolster their backfield.
That's probably why the Jags brought in veteran Ameer Abdullah. While this isn't the kind of move that will move the needle, it may shed light on their offensive philosophy next season.
The Jaguars signed running back Ameer Abdullah
The Jaguars announced several roster moves one day after rookie minicamp concluded, including the signing of Ameer Abdullah and the return of offensive lineman Sal Wormley, who was released just before rookie minicamp. Moreover, the team waived running back Ja'Quinden Jackson and placed offensive lineman Jordan White on the Reserve/Retired list.
Both Wormely and Jackson joined the Jags last year. Both of them landed in the practice squad, but neither saw the field.
Circling back to Abdullah, he played for the Indianapolis Colts in 2025 and spent the prior three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. A second-round pick in 2015, he spent three and a half years with the Detroit Lions before bolting for the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
Abdullah stayed with the Vikes until 2021, when he was released. He then joined the Carolina Panthers midseason. While the former Nebraska Cornhusker hasn't logged more than 500 yards since 2017, he's been a viable pass-catcher out of the backfield in all his stops. As recently as 2024, he posted a career-best 40 receptions for 261 yards with three touchdowns.
Since 2015, Abdullah has appeared in 154 games with 26 starts, toting the rock 508 times for 2,054 yards with nine touchdowns. He's also caught 219 passes for 1,567 yards with 11 touchdowns in that span.1
In Jacksonville, Abdullah will join a crowded backfield that includes Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, LeQuint Allen Jr., DeeJay Dallas, and J'Mari Taylor.
How can Ameer Abdullah make an impact for the Jaguars
Barring injuries at running back, Ameer Abdullah is a long shot to make the initial 53-man roster. Having said that, he'll be given a fair shot to make an impression, as the team's brass puts a premium on competition. This begs the question, why did Jacksonville sign him?
Leaving aside that the Jags can never have too many good players, Abdullah's ability to be a receiver out of the backfield is valuable. Last year, Travis Etienne accounted for 36 catches for 292 yards with six touchdowns. Bhayshul Tuten will take on some of those targets, but Jacksonville may want to have options in the passing game.
Heck, the fact that the Jags signed Abdullah could be a sign that they want to feature their running backs in the passing game heavily next season. Having said that, he will have his work cut out for him.
The best-case scenario for Abdullah will be RB4. For him to get that spot, he would need to outplay rookie J'Mari Taylor, who's getting rave reviews, and veteran DeeJay Dallas.
The truth is that it doesn't hurt the Jags to kick the tires on Ameeer Abdullah, as he's an affordable signing that brings in competition at running back. If things don't work out, they can simply move on from him. On the other hand, they could end up with a steady contributor.
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