It’s a new day for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as head coach Liam Coen looks to establish a winning culture for a team seeking a refreshed identity.
Jaguars fans hope that sportsbooks’ NFL lines are underestimating the impact an offensive mind like Coen can have on the team in 2025. One of the first things the new coaching staff will have to figure out is their backfield rotation, which would seem to have three legitimate options heading into the season.
Travis Etienne Jr
Etienne is the ball carrier that the franchise invested the most in from a draft capital perspective. Jacksonville believed it could recapture the magic Clemson football had by taking Trevor Lawrence and Etienne in round one of the 2021 NFL Draft, but that has not come to pass. Due to injury, Etienne missed the entirety of the 2021 season and has not been an explosive option in the past couple of seasons.
Coen and new general manager James Gladstone weren’t with the organization when it used a premium draft selection on Etienne, so they might not feel obligated to make him the bell cow this season. Coen has thrown cold water on the fact that this regime doesn’t value Etienne, but it bears watching.
Tank Bigsby
Etienne didn’t even lead the Jaguars in rushing attempts in 2024. That distinction went to Bigsby, who out-carried his backfield mate 168 to 150. He ran for more yards and scored seven touchdowns on the ground, compared to Etienne’s two. A changing of the guard seemed like it was underway, as Bigsby also rushed for more yards per carry(4.6) than Etienne did(3.7).
Coen and Gladstone weren’t with the team when Bigsby was drafted in 2023, so they theoretically don’t have longstanding ties to him either. Some outlets believe Bigsby is the favorite to pace Jacksonville in carries for a second straight year. Even if that doesn’t come to fruition, analysts expect Bigsby to have a sizeable role in the offense.
The shiny new toy in Jacksonville’s backfield would be Tuten, whom Gladstone brought to the team with a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He spent the final two seasons of his collegiate career at Virginia Tech, where he rushed for 10 and 15 touchdowns, respectively. Tuten averaged five yards per carry in 2023 and over six yards per tote in 2024.
Tuten might not see too much action early in the season for the Jaguars, but could emerge as a name to watch in the year’s second half. Like all rookie runners, Tuten must protect the football, which Coen brought up during OTAs earlier in the summer.
As offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, Coen wasn’t afraid to lean on rookie running back Bucky Irving, who proved he was the best running back on the team. He likely won’t be scared to deploy Tuten if he feels he can trust him in 2025.
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