The Jacksonville Jaguars easily defeated the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, and while Trevor Lawrence didn't do his best, fans saw the resurgence of Travis Etienne, who was highly expected to have a big comeback in 2025.
It's only been one game, but so far, Etienne looks primed to have a big season. He ran for 143 yards on 16 carries, including a 71-yard monster run, and it's clear that his spot as RB1 is not going anywhere.
RB2 had been expected to belong to Tank Bigsby, but in a shocking Monday night twist, the Jaguars traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles. So who does that leave to take over at RB2? The Jaguars have two candidates - LeQuint Allen and Bhayshul Tuten - but Tuten was selected earlier in the 2025 NFL Draft. That would make it seem that he is likely to have the better chance at decent playing time his rookie season, but some analysts disagree.
Will Bhayshul Tuten have to wait until 2026 to play?
ESPN analysts Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano discussed Jacksonville's running back situation, specifically focusing on Tuten, and when head coach Liam Coen will start to use him. The problem, according to these two, is that with Etienne as such a strong, explosive back, there simply might not be much of a need for Tuten.
"The question will be whether Tuten can earn more touches as his rookie season goes on, or whether we'll need to wait until 2026 to see what he can do," Graziano said. Fowler, however, noted that Coen will need to take some of the pressure off Etienne, arguing,
"The hope is Tuten can become a similar home run hitter for Liam Coen in Jacksonville as Bucky Irving was for him last season in Tampa Bay, easing the load on Etienne. Irving and Tuten are fourth-round picks with a similar stature."
Interestingly, Graziano had predicted Tuten would steal the spotlight in Week 1, and before the season started, he was in serious contention to be the starting running back. Etienne, after all, is coming off a less-than-stellar 2024 season, and Tuten had strong performances in training camp and the preseason. Clearly, Tuten is not about to surpass Etienne, but there's no reason to believe he will be a non-factor right now.
With Bigsby officially gone, there's no reason that Tuten won't see more action right away. He's officially been moved up to RB2, and there's no reason to think that Coen isn't ready to take full advantage of his speed and explosiveness.