Jaguars' Liam Coen Offers Frank Truth on Tank Bigsby Trade

What did Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen have to say about the Tank Bigsby trade on Wednesday?

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) warms up before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars held off the Titans 20-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars knew coming into the season how they wanted their running back room to look.

After the first week of the season, they finally have their vision in place.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has talked consistently throughout the offseason and training camp how hard it would be to effectively use four running backs, but his team had four running backs whose talents demanded a roster spot in Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, Bhaysul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr.

But the Jaguars long yearned for a three-man backfield, and on Monday they got their wish when they executed a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to deal Bigsby for a 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks.

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Tank Bigsby (4) against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Speaking for the first time since the trade, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen on Wednesday offered the blunt truth on the Bigsby trade and the logjam at the running back position.

"Really just came down to after some time of evaluating and just working through some things, it felt like especially, you know, post-Sunday just probably best to move on, just give him an opportunity to go. Same with us, we feel good about where we are at moving forward," Coen said.

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Tank Bigsby (4) against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"I wish him nothing but the best. He is a good dude. Just worked out that way. So, really feel confident obviously with some of the way those other guys stepped in, did some good things. It is hard to rotate four. And wish him nothing but the best."

So, was it Etienne's career day? Was it the improvement and flashes shown from the pair of rookies in Tuten and Allen? For Coen, it was a bit of this and a bit of that.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) turns upfield during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 18th and final training camp practice at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Wednesday August 20, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"It was a combination. Combination of all of those things," Coen said.

Now, the Jaguars are moving forward without Bigsby and they have their backfield set. They signed Cody Schrader off the Los Angeles Rams' practice squad to serve as their No. 4 running back, and they now will know exactly how the running game is set to be split between Etienne, Tuten and Allen as they march forward through the rest of 2025.

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