Running back Travis Etienne had a banner season in 2025. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't make an effort to retain him in free agency. That itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. The issue is that the Jags may not have done enough to replace Etienne.
The team's brass is confident that Bhayshul Tuten can fill the void at running back. And to round out the backfield, Jacksonville signed Chris Rodriguez to a two-year deal. The duo's lack of experience has raised concerns and could lead to a nightmare scenario next season.
Not replacing Travis Etienne coudl backfire for the Jaguars
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report drew up a list of the best and worst scenarios for each NFL team. He believes that not doing a better job replacing Travis Etienne could turn out to be a nightmare for the Jaguars, noting that betting on sophomore Bhayshul Tuten to step in his place could backfire.
"While Lawrence, Coen and the Jacksonville passing attack got most of the attention in 2025, it would be foolish to discount the contributions of running back Travis Etienne Jr.," Knox wrote. "The Clemson proudct racked up 1,017 rushing yards, 292 receiving yards, and 13 total touchdowns."
Knox continued, "Etienne also departed for the New Orleans Saints in free agency. Jacksonville didn't invest much into replacing Etienne, only adding Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Ameer Abdullah. Instead, it seems content to bet on 2025 fourth-round pick Bhayshul Tuten."
On paper, the argument makes sense. Etienne averaged 4.3 yards per tote and racked up 1,1077 rushing yards with seven rushing touchdowns on 260 carries. Meanwhile, Tuten averaged 3.7 yards per carry and tallied 83 yards for 307 yards with five touchdowns. That said, context is necessary.
Tuten got the ball in short-yardage situations way more than Etienne. That hurt his yard per carry. Had their roles been reversed, there's a strong change he would have put up similar stats. And tha'ts precisely what the Jags expect next season. Heck, they wouldn't have let Etienne walk if they weren't sure Tuten could fill his shoes. The former Virginia Tech Hokie certainly did enough as a rookie to validate his team's trust.
Although Tuten's statline in the regular season left a bit to be desired, he showed big play capability in the playoffs, racking up 51 yards on four carries in the postseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. If that wasn't enough, head coach Liam Coen says the Jags have yet to unlock Tuten's full potential, so he should also see plenty of targets as a receiver out of the backfield.
Simply put, there are reasons to believe why Tuten will be just fine.
The Jaguars their running game will thrive without Travis Etienne
Beyond Bhayshul Tuten, the Jaguars have a pretty good running back group. Chris Rodriguez is expected to carry a big workload after landing in Duval in free agency. He's sat out the offseason program while recovering from a foot injury. However, the former Kentucky Wildcat flashed in a limited role for the Washington Commanders last year.
LeQuint Allen Jr. is also back. The former Orangeman excels in pass protection but can also make plays if he's fed. The last roster spot could go to undrafted rookie J'Mari Taylor, who's made the most of his chances at Organized Team Activities. He appears to have the edge over veterans Ameer Abdullah and DeeJay Dallas.
Could the Jaguars still suffer a drop-off at running back without Travis Etienne? There's always a chance, especially if the injury bug strikes, but the team's brass is confident that their running game will improve with Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez leading the way.
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