The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Chris Rodriguez in free agency to help replace Travis Etienne. However, he missed the offseason program after suffering a foot injury. The good news is that Rodriguez is back for training camp.
Although the former Kentucky Wildcat didn't practice with the team, he was doing individual drills. However you look at it, that's a step in the right direction. Here's a clip of him catching passes, via Jamal St. Cyr of News4Jax.
Chris Rodriguez on the field for day 1 of camp pic.twitter.com/lRgDznfxgN
— Jamal St. Cyr (@JStCyrTV) July 29, 2026
And if there were any doubts that Rodriguez will be able to contribute, head coach Liam Coen put them to rest.
Liam Coen called Jaguars RB Chris Rodriguez a glass eater
Liam Coen met with the local media following Day 1 of training camp. He heaped praise on Chris Rodriguez, calling him a glass eater because of how tough he is.
"Yeah, I think that Chris, what he brings to this team, I don't think any of us are going to see throughout the entire training camp, honestly," Coen said when asked what he's seen in Rodriguez (10:32 mark). "I mean, until we play tackle football, it's going to be very difficult for all of us here to gain a true appreciation for who he is and what he does. I've seen it, so I do appreciate his skill set and what he brings. But just as a pro, I mean, he's a good dude. He doesn't say a ton, but he's tough. "
Coen continued, "I mean. He's one of those glass eaters. He's gonna run through a wall for his teammates, for his coaches, for this organization when the time comes. And just pleased to see him. He was so down. It was a frustrating time when you get here and get hurt on the first day. So I think he was just pleased to be able to get out here, be with his teammates, take some coaching points, and knowing that the best of C-Rod will not be seen until the pads come on, and we play tackle."
Rodriguez previously played for Coen when he was the offensive coordinator at Kentucky. That year, he toted the rock 225 times for 1,396 yards with nine touchdowns. That should get him up to speed in training camp.
Although his numbers in 2025 don't pop off the stat sheet (112 carries for 500 yards with six touchdowns, Rodriguez was much better than his traditional stats suggest. Among 48 running backs in 2025, he was eighth with a rushing success rate of 45.5 percent. Similarly, his average of 4.0 yards after contact ranked second. The Jags could use that kind of production from the running back position.
The Jaguars expect Chris Rodriguez to give the RB position a boost
Bhayshul Tuten appears to be RB1 for the moment, but the Jaguars will run a backfield committee. That means that Chris Rodriguez will also get a substantial role, even if he doesn't start.
On the other hand, Rodriguez needs to continue making strides in his recovery before he can contribute. But based on Coen's latest remarks, it doesn't seem like his health is a reason for concern.
While the Chris Rodriguez signing raised eyebrows, he's close to being back at full strength and validating the Jaguars' trust in him.
Add us as a preferred source on Google