JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s no secret that the Jaguars had very little rushing success in 2024 under Doug Pederson. Tank Bigsby gave the Jaguars’ offense some life on the ground, but Travis Etienne posted the worst season of his career, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, while collecting 558 yards and two touchdowns.
The Jags made a concerted effort to fix the run game this offseason, bringing in two new starters along the interior offensive line and drafting rookie tailbacks Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen. Many wondered how the carries and snaps would be distributed with so much suddenly invested into the position.
The question was quickly answered as Tank Bigsby, the player many thought was drafted to replace Etienne, was instead traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving the Jaguars with Etienne, Tuten, and Allen on the roster.
Etienne answered the call immediately, posting 426 yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage through the first four weeks. From there, Etienne would finish with his third 1300+ scrimmage yard season, highlighted by 13 touchdowns, a career-high.
Where Etienne truly shined this season was out of the backfield and in pass-protection. He finished second among all running backs with six receiving touchdowns, while simultaneously drastically improving in pass-protection.
I wrote about his improvement there in an article last week.
Moving on to Bhayshul Tuten, we see a very different player. While Etienne saw the majority of snaps, Tuten proved to be just as good a runner, if not better.
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Among the NFL’s top-60 running backs this season, Tuten ranked 12th in avoided tackle % (21.7%) and 16th in AVG yards after contact (3.22), according to Pro Football Focus. Tuten saw some success out of the backfield, too, tallying 79 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver.
If the Jaguars do decide to move on from Etienne this offseason, there’s a lot for Jaguars fans to like regarding Bhayshul Tuten. He’s a hard-nosed runner who also happens to be tied with Devon Achane for the fastest back in the NFL.
That leaves us with LeQuint Allen. Allen didn’t see a whole lot of carries or receptions this season; however, his impact cannot be overstated. Allen proved to be one of the NFL’s best pass-protectors as a rookie and was a key contributor on special teams as well.
Among the NFL’s top-60 blocking running backs, Allen ranked 12th in pass-protection per Pro
Football Focus. And honestly, that’s probably even doing Allen a disservice as he put up highlight reel after highlight reel of some of the league’s nastiest chip blocks this season.
His play was just as paramount on special teams as he forced two fumbles, including one in the playoffs, in addition to a fumble recovery. He was also part of a kickoff return duo that ranked sixth in the NFL this season, averaging 27.4 yards per return.
The Jaguars put themselves in a situation where they could say goodbye to Etienne this
offseason with the addition of Tuten and Allen; however, it’s hard to distance yourself from someone so instrumental to the team’s offensive success this season. Gladstone’s got some tough upcoming decisions to make, and Etienne is at the forefront of it all.
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