The Jacksonville Jaguars will welcome James Robinson to a new-look offense to open the 2022 season.
During Monday’s press conference, head coach Doug Pederson said his third-year running back will be ready for Week 1’s contest against the Washington Commanders. Robinson tore his Achilles in Week 16 of the 2021 season.
As an undrafted rookie, Robinson ran away with the starting job to gain 1,414 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns in 2020. He settled for 989 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games last season, but that has more to do with opportunity than production.
Robinson averaged 4.7 yards per carry in a sophomore season that saw his game-high rushing attempts peak at 18. Head coach Urban Meyer benched him after fumbling in consecutive games, leading Trevor Lawrence to say his teammate has “got to be in the game.”
Robinson could receive a steadier role under Pederson, but he now has company in Jacksonville’s backfield. Travis Etienne, last year’s first-round pick, will make his NFL debut after missing his entire rookie season with a Lisfranc injury.
Two weeks ago, per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Pederson said he doesn’t plan on deploying Robinson “full steam ahead” right out of the gate. Pederson will likely begin the season with a backfield timeshare like the ones he often utilized in Philadelphia.
Along with Robinson and Etienne, the Jaguars also signed pass-catchers Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram to a team that scored an NFL-low 14.9 points per game last season.
The Jaguars will play the Commanders on the road Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.