Liam Coen Drops Hint on Running Back Rotation for Jaguars

This kind of situation might be a nightmare for fantasy owners and prospective drafters, but it's good news for Head Coach Liam Coen and the rest of the staff that they have four solid backs who deserve a spot on the 53-man roster. Just because they have four RBs doesn't mean they have to use them all week in and week out, though.

There's been high hopes that Travis Etienne Jr. can reclaim his status as a premier young rusher in Coen's system, but the presence of the Jaguars' other promising running backs behind him on the depth chart threatens his potential and his spot as RB1. The fantasy world, in particular, has been chomping at the bit for Bigsby or Tuten to wind up as Jacksonville's lead back at some point in 2025.

Travis Etienne's prospects look good for Week 1

Liam Coen produced two top-21 running backs in fantasy football last season as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That built a lot of optimism for Travis Etienne Jr.'s prospects this year, both in fantasy and in real life, considering he has the skill set necessary to play both Bucky Irving and Rachaad White's roles for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

However, ETN's not the best pure runner on the team. Both Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten have shown more explosiveness bursting out of the backfield in their careers. That's had analysts speculating that Etienne Jr. could drop in Jacksonville's running back hierarchy. When asked if he could have all four of the Jaguars' RBs active for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, he had this to say:

"Yeah, you can. I mean, they have to contribute on [special] teams. That’s the big part of it is the special teams availability and dependability and those things. Then, obviously, what’s the role? Does that mean we’re going to rotate four backs getting carries? I can’t say that, but you can if they’re productive on teams and help us in those areas, and then also have a role within the offense. So that’s the kind of challenge we’re working through right now is getting through some of that stuff, but it’s definitely doable; it’s just, is that the best thing for the team?"

It sounds like even if Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. are active against the Panthers, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll be getting carries. If Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby can prove that they can be effective within Coen's scheme, they reaffirm their places on the depth chart.