Jaguars' Post-Travis Etienne Backfield Is Wide Open, And That Is a Good Thing

The Jacksonville Jaguars are ready to move forward at the running back position, but who will step up first?

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) looks on before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Outside of Jacksonville, plenty of people in the football world have posed the question of how the Jaguars will replace former star running back Travis Etienne.

It appears the Jaguars have their answer in the form of a non-answer. They have more than a few options to step in and help replace Etienne, who recorded 1,399 yards from scrimmage last year and led the team in touchdowns, but questions remain in the Jaguars' backfield.

For the Jaguars, their answer is a wide-open running back. In a post-Etienne world, that very well could be the best path to take.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) walks off the field after losing to the Bills during an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars' RB Path

The Jaguars have made it clear with their moves this offseason that each of their top three running backs will play a role. Considering the general ineffectiveness of the running game down the stretch last year, it could be in the Jaguars' best interests to let the best man win week in and week out between Chris Rodriguez Jr., Bhayshul Tuten and Lequint Allen.

“Yeah, it's a group that has a lot of opportunities to them. It's a wide-open room. It's truly wide open,"Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said after the first day of OTAs on Tuesday.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen answers questions during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That wide-open race's first step was taken without Rodriguez on Tuesday. Rodriguez, the only player the Jaguars drafted in free agency until Ameer Abdullah earlier this month, did not practice on Tuesday. Coen was asked after practice about Rodriguez's status for the voluntary practices, to which Coen replied, “Yeah. The injury report will come out at some point here.”

In short ... it is not something the Jaguars are set to talk about. The Jaguars are typically not very active in sharing injury details, which mean Tuesday's backfield largely was left to Tuten and Allen to dominate. Each had impressive moments in the shorts and helmet practice, and it is clear the Jaguars are happy with the state of the room and the mix of the three very different skill-sets.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) returns a kick off return during the first quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Bringing Chris in only continues to provide those opportunities for those guys. I've really liked how Tuten [RB Bhayshul Tuten] has run it this spring so far and the way he looks as opposed to last year at this time. I think Chris will be a good added thump that we continue to need and get some of those hard yards, which is very difficult to see at this time of year." Coen said.

The Jaguars might not have a true lead running back like they had with Etienne last year, which has raised plenty of eyebrows across national football media coverage. But the Jaguars leaned on Etienne as their bellcow last year and got mostly inefficient results down the stretch -- results that Coen himself said were covered up by the Jaguars' winning ways.

Dec 14, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Lequint Allen Jr. (36) carries the ball during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Now, the Jaguars are not set to put the entire running game on the plate of one player. The Jaguars have three running backs they are geniunely high on who will all earn snaps in some fashion. Who leads the room in snaps and touches could depend on game scripts, or it could depend on who has the hot hand.

Do not expect much clarity on the running back room today, both due to Rodriguez's status and due to the nature of offseason practices. But once the pads come on, the Jaguars' post-Travis Etienne world will look that much more clear.

"I think that our guys that we have in the room, all three of them are going to be better when you play 11-on-11 tackle football than right now in t-shirts and shorts, right? That's not really all of their game," Coen said. "Their game, a lot of them, is based on physicality, toughness, breaking tackles, extra yards, the hidden yards in a game that we're just not going to see out here.”