Travis Etienne Is GONE, And the Jaguars' Backfield Is an Absolute Wild West

Okay, so you think you know what's up in the NFL, right? Think again. Down in Jacksonville, something massive just went down, and trust me, it's gonna shake things up big time for their entire offense. We're talking about a major hole opened up by a huge departure, and now it's a mad dash to see who steps up.

Jags Running Back Room: Open Auditions Are On

Look, the big news ripping through the league is Travis Etienne is GONE from Jacksonville. The dude put up 260 carries in 17 games in 2025! That's a workhorse, whatever you wanna call it. He's outta there via free agency, and suddenly, the Jaguars have a giant question mark where their run game used to be. Who takes those snaps? Who gets those touches? It's wide open, and the pressure is ON to fill that kind of production.

Chris Rodriguez's Foot: A Race Against the Clock

And adding to that chaos? Their guy Chris Rodriguez is already dealing with a left foot procedure he had earlier in the offseason program. Dude's been rehabbing at the Jaguars' facility, which is good, but he's already missing mandatory minicamp, which runs from June 9-11. The good news, if you can call it that, is he's expected to be ready for the start of training camp with no restrictions. But still, any injury this early, especially when you're vying for a starting spot that just opened up, has to be a red flag. He's gonna be battling Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen for slotting in that backfield. It's a crowded, competitive mess.

Sneed Returns to KC, Bucs Take a Kicker Gamble

Speaking of teams making moves, you hear about L'Jarius Sneed reuniting with the Kansas City Chiefs? After two seasons with the Titans where he only played 12 of a possible 34 regular-season games due to injuries, including missing the final ten contests of 2025 with a quadriceps issue, he's back. He was traded to the Titans from the Chiefs back in March 2024. Now, with Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie off to the Rams, Sneed's gonna be stepping in as one of KC's top boundary corners for 2026. The Chiefs are clearly hoping he’s put those injury struggles behind him. Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just picked up B.T. Potter. This guy, undrafted in 2023, never played a regular-season NFL game, but he nailed all 97 PATs and 41 of 52 field goals in his final two seasons at Clemson. It's a low-risk, high-reward type of move. It's barely *this* far into the offseason, and already the league is buzzing with storylines. For Jacksonville, that running back competition is going to be fierce, and every snap will count for Rodriguez, Tuten, and Allen. How they fill that Etienne void will define their season. We're keeping an eye on it all, ready to see how these early shake-ups change the game when the whistle finally blows.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.