Full Breakdown
Jaguars Target Bhayshul Tuten as Lead Back After Etienne’s Departure
7/23/2026, 9:49:17 PM
Core Event
Head coach Liam Coen has indicated that second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten is expected to have a “big year” for Jacksonville as the team enters training camp. The comment follows the loss of former starter Travis Etienne, who left for the New Orleans Saints in free agency, creating a vacancy in the Jaguars’ primary rushing role.
Background & Context
Etienne accounted for roughly 70 % of Jacksonville’s rushing attempts last season, helping the club win 13 games and finish among the AFC contenders. With his departure, the Jaguars’ backfield competition is described as “truly wide open” among Tuten, rookie Chris Rodriguez Jr., and LeQuint Allen. Tuten, a fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2025, spent his rookie year as a short-yardage complement, recording seven touchdowns on 93 touches. He also posted a 4.32-second 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process and demonstrated explosiveness in the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, where he logged three runs of 10 + yards.
Official Statements & Responses
Coach Coen praised Tuten’s spring training, noting the running back’s improved grasp of NFL protections and his “conscientious” ball security. Coen emphasized Tuten’s ability to find the end zone, gain yards after contact, and sustain downhill momentum when given the opportunity. The coaching staff’s optimism suggests Tuten could assume many of the responsibilities Etienne handled in 2025, though the exact distribution of carries among the three backs will be monitored throughout preseason.
Data & Statistics
- 2025 rookie season: 7 touchdowns, 93 touches.
- Pre-draft 40-yard dash: 4.32 seconds (reported as 4.28 seconds in some coach comments).
- Etienne’s 2025 share of carries: ~70 %.
- Tuten’s 2025 yards after contact and red-zone performance highlighted in playoff footage.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He does a great job of finding the end zone and his yards after contact and rushing yards, man — when he can get going and get downhill, I mean, he was 4.28 coming out. So he can fly,” — Liam Coen, jaguars head coach
- “Yeah, Tuten I thought had a really good spring. You know, year one coming from Virginia Tech, and really was North Carolina Central to Virginia Tech, and man, so he had a little bit of a learning curve too, with the protections and a lot of the things that come with playing running back as a rookie,” — Liam Coen, jaguars head coach
