![Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs upfield in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_29,w_1158,h_651/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01kv6prt3e874m67pvqh.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs upfield in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
The Jacksonville Jaguars raised eyebrows in the free agency because their only external signing was Chris Rodriguez. The move made sense because Rodriguez had previously played for head coach Liam Coen when he was the offensive coordinator at Kentucky. However, the Jags came close to signing a Denver Broncos running back.
Luca Evans of The Denver Post broke the news that Jacksonville came close to inking J.K. Dobbins in free agency, noting that they had a deal in place. However, Denver swooped in and gave the veteran running back a two-year deal worth $20 million with $8 million fully guaranteed.
"As both the Broncos and Dobbins explored their options when free agency opened on the morning of March 9, Dobbins had a potential agreement lined up with the Jaguars that was essentially 'done,' according to a source with knowledge of the process," Evans wrote. "Instead, Denver and Dobbins turned back to the Well and hammered out a two-year deal with $8 million fully guaranteed.
The Jags lost Travis Etienne in free agency, so it made sense to look for a replacement. From the outside perspective, though, Dobbins didn't seem like an obvious target, but he was based on Evan's report.
The Jaguars were betting on J.K. Dobbins big-play potential
It's interesting to imagine how things would have unfolded if the Jaguars had managed to land J.K. Dobbins. A second-round pick in 2020, the former Ohio State Buckeye spent four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before bolting to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024. After his one-year with the Bolts, he latched onto the Broncos in 2025.
Throughout his career, Dobbins has been a highly productive running back when he's on the field, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and registering 3024 yards with 25 touchdowns in 47 games with 30 starts. The issue is that he's dealt with several injuries throughout his career — he missed the full 2021 season — that have limited his impact.
In fact, the last time Dobbins played more than 10 games was in his rookie season when he suited up for 15. Despite the injuries, the Jaguars wouldn't have targeted him if they didn't think he could have helped them replace Etienne alongside sophomore Bhayshul Tuten.
The Jaguars may be better off with Chris Rodriguez after missing out on JK Dobbins
While Chris Rodriguez has missed the offseason program after undergoing foot surgery, he hasn't missed nearly as many games as J.K. Dobbins due to injuries, so you could make the case that he's a better fit in Jacksonville, at least when it comes to availability.
On top of that, Jacksonville managed to get Rodriguez on a cheaper deal (two years, $10 million), than Dobbins (two years, $20 million), so you can argue that things turned out just fine for the Jags.
The truth is that the Jaguars were never going to match the four-year deal worth $52 million Travis Etienne got from the New Orleans Saints, so it most definitely made sense to look for a more affordable alternative. The fact that they were zeroing in on J.K. Dobbins shows that they were willing to fork out more money than originally thought but weren't going to exceed their budget.
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