{"id":292996,"date":"2026-07-20T15:45:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:45:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=292996"},"modified":"2026-07-20T15:45:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:45:49","slug":"jaguars-backfield-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/07\/20\/jaguars-backfield-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Jaguars Backfield Outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ backfield <\/span>outlook enters 2026 with a fresh look under head coach Liam Coen<\/a>. After <\/span>moving on from Travis Etienne,<\/a> Jacksonville now has two running backs with very different skill sets in Bhayshul Tuten and former Washington Commander Chris Rodriguez Jr.<\/a> Rather than relying on one featured back, the Jaguars appear set to use both players in roles that best fit their strengths. Tuten offers explosiveness and receiving ability, while Rodriguez brings power and physicality between the tackles. How Coen divides those responsibilities will go a long way toward determining the success of Jacksonville’s rushing attack this season.<\/span><\/p>\n

2026 Jaguars Backfield Outlook\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bhayshul Tuten Brings Explosiveness<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Tuten gives Jacksonville an element of speed and versatility that can create explosive plays. His ability to accelerate into open space makes him dangerous on outside runs, while his receiving skills allow him to contribute in the passing game.<\/p>\n

Compared to Rodriguez, Tuten is the more dynamic athlete and projects to see more opportunities in space. Whether it’s screens, check downs, or designed runs to the perimeter, his skill set fits an offense looking to generate chunk plays instead of simply grinding out tough yards.<\/p>\n

While he may not receive every carry, Tuten has the versatility to stay on the field in a variety of situations. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield should make him an important part of Jacksonville’s offensive game plan and could lead to the most overall touches among Jaguars running backs.<\/p>\n

Chris Rodriguez Jr. Adds Power<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Rodriguez complements Tuten with a much different running style. Instead of relying on speed, he wins with physicality, balance, and the ability to fight through contact between the tackles.<\/p>\n

His connection with Liam Coen dates back to their time together at Kentucky in 2021, when Coen served as the Wildcats offensive coordinator. That season, Rodriguez rushed for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns while thriving in Coen’s downhill, outside-zone rushing scheme. Their success together played a major role in Jacksonville bringing him in during free agency.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez also fits exactly what Coen wants to establish offensively. After emphasizing the need for a tougher, more physical rushing attack, Jacksonville added Rodriguez because of his ability to generate yards after contact, create positive runs even when blocking breaks down, and handle a physical workload. His bruising style perfectly complements Tuten’s explosiveness, giving the Jaguars two backs with very different strengths.<\/p>\n

That makes Rodriguez the logical choice for early-down work between the tackles, short-yardage situations, and goal-line carries. Rather than competing directly with Tuten, he gives Jacksonville a physical presence capable of wearing down defenses and finishing drives.<\/p>\n

Fantasy Outlook<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Jaguars backfield outlook will also be important for fantasy football managers. Tuten projects as the more valuable fantasy option because he is expected to lead the backfield in total volume while handling most of the receiving work. His ability to contribute as both a runner and pass catcher gives him a higher weekly floor and greater upside, especially in PPR formats.<\/p>\n

Another factor working in Tuten’s favor is his potential role as a kick returner. His elite speed makes him a candidate to contribute on special teams, giving him another opportunity to produce explosive plays while increasing his overall value to Jacksonville. With an ADP (average draft position) as the RB24, Tuten can easily out perform his ADP.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez should still have fantasy value, but much of his production will likely come from touchdowns. He projects to handle many of Jacksonville’s short-yardage and goal-line carries, making him a touchdown-dependent option with flex appeal in favorable matchups.<\/p>\n

If the workload develops as expected, Tuten should emerge as the back to target in fantasy drafts because of his projected volume, receiving role, and explosive upside. Rodriguez, meanwhile, profiles as a complementary fantasy option whose greatest value will come from his ability to convert goal-line opportunities into touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Main Image: Doug Engle\/Florida Times-Union \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Jaguars backfield outlook for 2026 features Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. Here’s how Liam Coen could divide the workload and what it means for fantasy football.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5513,"featured_media":293079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,13,6431],"tags":[33250,9961,7335,33134],"class_list":["post-292996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-jaguars","category-nfl-teams","tag-bhayshul-tuten","tag-chris-rodriguez-jr","tag-jacksonville-jaguars-news","tag-liam-coen"],"modified_by":"Mike Roberts","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5513"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=292996"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":293087,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292996\/revisions\/293087"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}