Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Bhayshul Tuten

Monday, June 2, 12:36 PM

With trade speculation surrounding Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. this offseason, new head coach Liam Coen had nothing but positive things to say about the 26-year-old former first-rounder. When asked about Etienne's performance at OTAs this offseason, Coen said "(Travis) has done everything we've asked him to do and more... I don't understand some of the stuff I've seen out there, that's absolutely inaccurate." The Jags took rookie Bayshul Tuten in the fourth round of April's NFL draft, and then a report surfaced in May that the team wasn't very high on Etienne, which in turn led to trade rumors. Etienne had a second straight down year in 2025, carrying the ball 150 times for 558 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. Even if he sticks around in Jacksonville, Etienne's fantasy stock is down, and he could lose more work to Tuten and Tank Bigsby.

Thursday, May 8, 8:22 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten could make a significant impact during his first NFL season, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. In particular, Fowler notes that Tuten could carve out a significant role simply by process of elimination. Jacksonville's new coaching and front office regime isn't very high on incumbent starter Travis Etienne Jr., and they're also aware of Tank Bigsby's fumbling issues. There's a lot to be said about a new staff bringing in its own guys, and it's possible they could look to phase Tuten into the offense right away. As a fourth-round pick, Tuten will still have to earn opportunities, but that hasn't been a problem for him in the past. At Virginia Tech last year, he ran wild with 1,159 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns.