JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser and Jaguars analyst Bucky Brooks examine the Jaguars' running back position in this position-by-position look at the '26 offseason:
Position: Running back.
Position coach: Chad Morton.
2025 starters: Travis Etienne Jr. (16), LeQuint Allen Jr. (1).
Others: Bhayshul Tuten, DeeJay Dallas, Ja'Quinden Jackson.
2025 at a glance: This was a strong Jaguars position in 2025 with a mix of productive veteran experience and dynamic rookies. Etienne rushed for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns after re-establishing himself as the starter, also finishing with 292 yards and six touchdowns receiving. This marked Etienne' s third 1,000-yard rushing season in the last four seasons and his 13 touchdowns led the team. He ranked fifth in the AFC and 11th in the NFL in rushing in 2025. Tuten – a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft – rushed for 307 yards and five touchdowns on 83 carries, scoring touchdowns in four of his last six games played and accounting for seven total touchdowns for the season. Allen, a seventh-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, rushed for 94 yards on 23 carries and emerged as a top special teams player. He also was the Jaguars' top pass-blocking back and was key on third downs. Dallas rushed twice for 21 yards while playing the last three games of season.
Offseason storyline: Etienne is one of the Jaguars' top offseason storylines, with the No. 25 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on the March 11 start of the 2026 NFL League Year. Etienne has led the Jaguars in rushing three of the past four seasons, with the team perhaps seeking a veteran runner in free agency or a running back in the mid-rounds if they don't reach a contract extension with Etienne. The Jaguars re-signed Dallas earlier this week, with Tuten and Allen still on their rookie contracts.
Free agents as of March 11: Etienne.
Bucky Brooks' top three free-agent quarterbacks: 1, Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks; 2, Breece Hall, New York Jets; 3, Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys.
Bucky Brooks' top three collegiate prospects: 1, Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame; 2, Emmett Johnson, Nebraska; 3, Jadarian Price, Notre Dame.
Oehser analysis: This could be a difficult offseason for Jaguars fans and observers at this position, with the popular Etienne – a productive and popular player who made multiple big plays in big moments this past season – unsigned as an unrestricted free agent. While Etienne has been productive – and while decision-makers and coaches loved Etienne's professionalism last season –it's difficult to pay big, long-term money for second contracts to running backs. While Etienne has been productive, the team could opt to move toward a philosophy of drafting young players at the position and moving on when those players reach their second contract – a philosophy many teams take in an age where many teams have devalued running backs. The Jaguars liked the progress made by Tuten and Allen as rookies, with Tuten having an intriguing combination of speed and power. It remains to be seen if Tuten will develop into a front-line, every-down starter but he has that potential – and showed as a rookie he can be an integral part of the offense with a knack for finding the end zone.
Brooks analysis: Etienne showed up and showed out in a contract year that could price him outside of the Jaguars' budget. The fifth-year veteran topped the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his career, exhibiting the speed, quickness and burst to score from anywhere on the field. As a pass catcher, Etienne's soft hands and underrated route-running skills enabled him to create and exploit mismatches on the perimeter. With Lawrence comfortable targeting the crafty playmaker on swings, screens, option and wheel routes, the Jaguars' offense added another dimension with the veteran on the field. Tuten and Allen showed promise as rotational players assigned key roles as backups/core special team standouts. While the team will expect one of the rookies to emerge as Etienne's successor if the latter departs as a free agent, the Jaguars could attack the draft to find their next lead back.
