Why Bhayshul Tuten should not cede any Jaguars RB work to Chris Rodriguez Jr.

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the 2026 NFL season with a question mark at the running back position. Bhayshul Tuten was projected to lead the backfield, but the question was how much work he'd actually receive.

Through two weeks, Tuten has looked great, while the backup options, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Ameer Abdullah, have worked into the mix. Those two weeks should've revealed to the Jaguars how they should utilize their backfield moving forward.

As ESPN's Michael DiRocco noted, the Jaguars should not have Tuten cede any work to Rodriguez this season, as he's clearly the better back and should be the unquestioned RB1 for the rest of the season.

Jaguars should not have Bhayshul Tuten cede work to Chris Rodriguez Jr.

"The Jaguars signed RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency, and the expectation was that he and Tuten would share the workload," DiRocco writes. "Through the first two games, however, Tuten (28 carries) has more than doubled Rodriguez's yards per carry and also has three catches for 29 yards, and he should be fully entrenched as the lead back."

While it's only been two weeks, the Jaguars should have seen more than enough to justify keeping Tuten as the No. 1 back going forward.

On 28 rushing attempts, Tuten has 131 yards and one touchdown, good for an average of 4.68 yards per carry. As a receiver, he's caught all three of his targets for 19 yards, one of which went for 22 yards.

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Rodriguez, meanwhile, has just 36 rushing yards on 12 attempts with no touchdowns. His 3.0 yards per carry is well below Tuten's mark. He also hasn't been involved as a receiver yet this season.

While the two came into the year in a potential split backfield, one thing should be certain for Liam Coen and the Jaguars after two weeks: this is Tuten's backfield.

Barring an injury or a game being completely out of reach, Tuten should be the lead back in Jacksonville going forward. Rodriguez might be a serviceable depth option, but that's exactly what he should remain as: a depth piece, not a starter.

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