Nobody will deny that Travis Etienne is a playmaker for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025, registering a personal-best 13 touchdowns and racking up over 1,000 yards rushing for the third time in his career. That said, it was always going to be challenging to match the four-year, $54 million deal he got from the New Orleans Saints.
Now, everybody understands that you can't pay all your players because of salary cap rules. That's not why the Jags have caught lots of heat. Instead, they've been criticized for not making a splash to replace Etienne, at least in the eyes of the national media.
Jacksonville believes Bhayshul Tuten can be a more-than-capable replacement. On top of that, the team's brass inked Chris Rodriguez to a two-year deal worth $10 million in free agency to complement the backfield. Nevertheless, an NFL analyst still thinks that running back remains a big question heading into training camp.
Running back is apparently a question for the Jaguars in spite of Bhayshul Tuten
Matt Okada of NFL Media drew up a list of the biggest questions for each AFC team ahead of training camp. He chose running back for the Jaguars, arguing that they may have trouble replacing Travis Etienne with the aggregate of Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez.
"With the departure of Travis Etienne in free agency, Jacksonville will be forced to recreate his impact in the aggregate in 2026," Okada wrote. "The problem is the group filling that role features a pair of 2025 Day 3 picks in Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. and old-fashioned grinder Chris Rodriguez."
Okada continued, "The Jaguars should get some speed from Tuten, pass-catching contributions from Allen and short-yardage work from Rodriguez, but the offense might lack flexibility and disguise from play to play."
In Okada's defense, Mike Clay of ESPN also thinks that running back remains a weakness in Duval after letting Etienne walk. That said, his departure may be overblown.
Sure, Etienne came up just a few yards short of totaling 1,400 yards from scrimmage. However, he wasn't nearly as productive as his statline suggests. His explosive rate per play of 9.5 percent was below the league's average. On top of that, the 2021 first -round pick struggled in short-yardage situations, scoring just twice in 12 carries inside the 5-yard line. For comparison, Tuten reached the end zone in five of seven attempts.
When you add it all up, it's easy to see why the Jags let him walk and replaced him with the more affordable Chris Rodriguez, who's much better than what analysts give him credit for.
Although Rodriguez only tallied 112 carries for 500 yards, he ranked eighth among 48 running backs with a rushing success rate of 45.5 percent. Similarly, his average of 4.0 yards after contact was second. When you add it all up, the Jaguars may have ended up with a free-agency steal.
Jacksonville Jaguars RB Chris Rodriguez pic.twitter.com/MSQeEAluaG
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) March 12, 2026
The Jaguars will rely on Chris Rodriguez and Bhayshul Tuten
The Jaguars were given an F for their offseason moves because they didn't spend nearly as much as other AFC teams in free agency, but that doesn't mean that they haven't improved. They have. Specifically, their running back should be much better after hiring run coordinator Brian Piccuci.
Adding Nate Boerkircher to run more multiple-tight-end sets should also give the Jags another dimension on offense. On the other hand, they'll have continuity on the offensive line, which should lead to much better blocking up front. Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen Jr. will reap the benefits.
Circling back to Tuten, he's showcased his explosiveness in the playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, toting the rock four times for 51 yards. With Etienne out of the picture, he'll have a chance to put his speed on full display.
If you want to say that the Jaguars lack experience at running back, nobody will stop you, but the position isn't truly a weakness (nor a question mark) with the trio of Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen in the mix.
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