Coming off an injury-marred season, running back Travis Etienne went on to put on one of his best seasons as a pro in 2025. Understandably, the Jacksonville Jaguars have lots of heat for letting him walk in free agency. The fact that they didn't make a big splash to replace him didn't help matters. However, the Jags believe that sophomore Bhayshul Tuten can step into his shoes, and the offense won't miss a beat.
But despite Jacksonville's confidence, critics believe losing Etienne and not replacing him was a big blow. It will be up to the second-year running back to prove critics wrong.
Why is Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten under scrutiny?
After missing his rookie season, Travis Etienne racked up over 1,400 yards from scrimmage in 2022 and 2023. However, injuries hindered his production in 2024. Coupled with the fact that a new regime arrived in Duval, and the former Clemson Tiger entered a make-or-break year in 2025. He rose to the challenge, registering nearly 1,400 total yards and a career-best 13 total touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Bhayshul Tuten had 308 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns, solid stats for the No. 2 option in the Jacksonville backfield. On the other hand, he averaged just 3.7 years per carry. That's led to questions about his capability to fill in the void left by Etienne's departure to the New Orleans Saints. Then again, context is key.
Tuten got more carries in short-yardage situations than Etienne. Rightly, his average per carry suffered a drop-off. With Etienne out of the picture, the Paulsboro, New Jersey native will get to showcase the speed that made him a star at Virginia Tech.
Heck, Tuten has already offered a sample of what he's capable of doing, toting the rock four times for 41 yards in the playoff loss agains the Buffalo Bills.
Now, Tuten will have to prove his outing against the Bills will be the norm moving forward.
What could prevent Bhayshul Tuten from breaking out for the Jaguars?
Bhayshul Tuten is firmly entrenched as the No. 1 running back on the depth chart. That said, the Jaguars plan to use a backfield committee, so Chris Rodriguez will also have a big workload as the No. 2.
Although Rodriguez isn't currently a threat to Tuten, he could see his role increase if Tuten fails to deliver. And that's the thing, Tuten flashed potential, but he's performed in such a limited sample that we can't tell if he's going to break out or come up short of expectations. Heading into training camp, though, signs are pointing toward the former scenario.
Tuten had a strong offseason. On top of that, he has worked on the fumble issues that made him slide in the draft last year. Sure, he had two, but head coach Liam Coen saw it as a team problem rather than an individual one.
When you add it all up, Bhayshul Tuten is in a great position to quell concerns about the Jaguars running game. Don't be surprised if, by the end of the season, analysts revisit the decision to let Travis Etienne and call it a great move.
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