Do the Jaguars Regret Their 2023 Usage of Tank Bigsby?

Does the Jaguars' regrets over Tank Bigsby's rookie season mean more chances in 2024?

Aug 19, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs the ball against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

A year after the Jacksonville Jaguars struggled to generate a running game, the franchise has made it a priority to create a more balanced offense this offseason.

Near the very center of that effort is second-year running back Tank Bigsby. The backfield and No. 1 running back role unquestionably belong to Travis Etienne, but the Jaguars also desperately want a player to step up and compliment Etienne and reduce his workload.

"I'll tell you this: Tank has done a great job going into year two. He's a smart player. For him now, it's just understanding what he is seeing particularly in the run game, anticipating where the hole is going to be," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Tuesday.

"It's like a movie screen and that screen is constantly moving and changing. For him it's being able to see that and react. Then again, kickoff return, you saw last in the season we saw him doing a nice job there. Keep this growth and development going with him. But he's done a really nice job. He's a hard worker. Practices extremely fast, which I love. You know, eager to get the pads on and see what he can do."

But the Jaguars are also going to need to hope to get more out of Bigsby in 2024 than they did in his rookie year.

Bigsby, the No. 88 pick in last year's draft, didn't have a featured role as a rookie. After opening the season as the No. 2 running back, Bigsby ran into unlucky turnover issues early on and eventually fell into the No. 3 role behind D'Ernest Johnson.

Bigsby's rookie season ended with just 132 yards rushing (2.6 yards per rush) and two touchdowns, including just 15 carries in the last seven games of the season.

But, for as much as Bigsby struggled, it is also fair to say the Jaguars rarely gave the rookie running back a chance to build momentum and correct his early-season mistakes.

"Yeah, I mean, we would've liked to say we would get more usage, opportunity for Tank as the season went," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. "Looking back, there is a lot of things that we probably could have done better. The goal is not to go 9-8, especially each year we've done that. You look at a lot of things. You try to be as critical of everything that you can be, and how do we utilize every single player available to us on game-day."

"I think there are things Tank could have provided that we maybe didn't give him opportunities to or maybe we're quick to give Travis another rep on something that Tank could have done well for us. You live, learn, grow from it and adapt moving forward. Tank is in a great headspace in terms of where he goes in year two, and we are looking to get the most out of him as well."