Bhayshul Tuten said Ventrell Miller and the Jacksonville Jaguars are handling a larger running back workload in 2026 Training Camp after Travis Etienne Jr. left in free agency. He said the backs are getting the reps Etienne took last year and are ready to step up.
"More of a workload on us. We're getting a lot of reps now that he was taking last year, but I think we're all ready and available to step up and that's what we've been doing." Tuten said that during Day 15 at the Miller Electric Center, where the Jaguars practiced in light pads for about 90 minutes.
Grant Udinski on the backfield
Grant Udinski said the group has "kind of been by committee in the run game." He added that the backs also matter on third down, in two-minute situations, and on second and long. Udinski said they are willing to block a linebacker or a defensive end in pass protection, calling that side of the job "a unique aspect of that room."
He said Tuten is "really explosive" with "great vision inside," and added, "He obviously has the speed as well to hit these home-run runs," while saying Tuten "has gotten a lot better" in protection this offseason. That improvement gives the Jaguars more ways to keep the same backs on the field instead of treating them as downhill runners only.
Bhayshul Tuten and Rodriguez
The Jaguars list Tuten and Rodriguez as co-starters on the unofficial preseason depth chart, which fits the committee approach Udinski described. Tuten called Rodriguez's arrival "amazing" and said, "Coach Liam does a good job of bringing the right guys in and I think we definitely did with him."
The backfield setup now points to a shared workload rather than a single featured runner. That structure should carry into the Jacksonville Jaguars' August 21 preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium, where the same group will have another chance to show how the carries and protection work are divided.
