Travis Etienne was once a major presence in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ backfield, but his power will now benefit the New Orleans Saints. Liam Coen knows it will not be easy to find someone with that level of talent in Duval, so he will let the situation develop naturally before the start of a new NFL season.
“It’s a group that has a lot of opportunities to them,” the head coach recently revealed during his press conference. “There’s a wide-open room. It’s truly wide open.”
Bhayshul Tuten currently appears to be the best-positioned player on the depth chart, so it would not be surprising if the ground game starts running through him as early as Week 1. With an important preparation period still ahead, Coen still has time to decide who will take on this important role for the team.
Etienne took important numbers to New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints have secured a major backfield weapon by acquiring Travis Etienne, leaving a massive void in Jacksonville that will be incredibly difficult to fill. Over his four active seasons with the Jaguars, Etienne established himself as an elite dual-threat cornerstone, cementing his place in franchise history with 3,798 rushing yards (third all-time) and 25 touchdowns on the ground. His versatility was a focal point of the Jaguars’ offense, contributing 168 receptions for 1,338 yards and 7 receiving scores.
Head coach Liam Coen of the Jacksonville Jaguars congratulates Travis Etienne Jr.
Replacing that level of production is a daunting task for Jacksonville, especially coming off Etienne’s standout 2025 campaign, where he rushed for 1,107 yards and registered a career-high 13 total touchdowns.
Losing a player who consistently guarantees over 1,000 rushing yards while serving as a reliable, explosive target out of the backfield forces the Jaguars into a challenging offensive transition, as modern, high-volume backs with his specific skill set are exceptionally rare in today’s NFL.
Liam Coen’s backfield for the 2026 NFL season
Liam Coen will deploy a completely revamped, committee-driven backfield for the Jaguars this season. Sophomores Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr.—both selected in the 2025 NFL Draft—are expected to handle the bulk of the explosive playmaking duties, with Tuten poised to take a significant leap after serving as a reliable red-zone threat during his rookie year.
Adding powerful depth to the rotation is Chris Rodriguez Jr., who brings valuable familiarity with Coen’s system from their college days together and will likely anchor the short-yardage and goal-line situations.
To round out the group, seasoned veterans Ameer Abdullah and DeeJay Dallas provide reliable pass-catching options out of the backfield and critical special teams versatility. While losing an elite feature back is never easy, Coen’s new-look stable offers a diverse, specialized mix of youth and experience tailored to keep defenses off-balance.
