Jaguars Slowly Working Rodriguez Jr. Back To Full Health

Injuries have prevented Chris Rodriguez Jr. from participating in the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason activities, and the team is taking his recovery one step at a time in preparation for next season.

Rodriguez underwent successful surgery on his left foot for an injury sustained during Jacksonville's early-offseason conditioning program. He missed all of OTAs and minicamp, but has returned in time for training camp.

He's competing against Bhayshul Tuten for the starting running back spot. Coach Liam Coen will not sacrifice Rodriguez's health to stoke the competition, though.

“It’s a long training camp, and it’s a long season," Coen told reporters. "We’re trying to get him back without any hiccups or bumps.”

The new Jaguars running back said he plans to return to action in Week 1. That timeline gives him approximately a month and a half to catch up and impress during training camp.

Ryan O'Halloran, sports columnist for The Tampa Bay Times, reported Rodriguez is doing individual workouts for the time being. Team workouts should come later in camp, and it's significant he gets as many reps as possible.

Tuten has taken the majority of first-team reps, as the coaching staff aims to lean into his strengths next season, but he isn't the franchise running back Travis Etienne Jr. was.

Etienne was a consistent 1,000-yard rusher for Jacksonville, and the second-year tailback is expected to replace his former teammate.

Limited cap space forced Jacksonville to take a "by committee" approach after Etienne signed with the New Orleans Saints. The team signed Rodriguez and is betting on Tuten's improvement as a sophomore.

The former Washington Commander offers experience as a depth piece earning rotational carries. He rushed for 500 yards and six touchdowns on 112 carries last season, splitting reps with Jacory Croskey-Merritt. 

Jacksonville needs all the contributions it can get at running back. Rodriguez plays a significant role in giving the team a "1-2 punch" throughout next season.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence said the running game led to early success for the Jaguars while the passing game lagged behind last season. It's up to the duo to replicate similar success to maintain a diverse offense.

Coen called Rodriguez a "glass eater," and part of that compliment comes from their extended history. The duo spent one season at Kentucky when Rodriguez was a junior, and Coen was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Seeing the 26-year-old participate in individual drills at the beginning of training camp is an encouraging sign for Jacksonville. And his Week 1 return goal would give the team much-needed running back to help kick the season off on a winning note.