Why Bhayshul Tuten Might Just Be Getting Started for Jaguars

Bhayshul Tuten had his breakout game for the Jaguars in their last outing against the Los Angeles Chargers. It might just be the beginning for the rookie.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) eludes a tackle in the second quarter as Los Angeles Chargers safety R.J. Mickens (27) tries to tackle him in an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, November 16, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a revelatory game against the Los Angeles Chargers. After suffering a brutal loss to the Houston Texans in Week 10, this team looked lifeless, dropping three of their last four games to fall to 5-4 on the 2025 NFL season. There were serious concerns over whether the Jags could rebound after blowing a 19-point lead to backup quarterback Davis Mills in the fourth quarter and prove that their 4-1 start to the campaign wasn't a fluke.

They did just about everything they could to do so against the Chargers, blowing them out 35-6 by dominating the trenches on both sides of the ball. Justin Herbert had his worst game in a long time, finishing with just 81 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception on 10-of-18 passing while taking two sacks for 18 yards.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars led with their ground game on offense, pounding the rock to the tune of 192 yards and four touchdowns on 47 total carries. The leading rusher for Jacksonville in that game wasn't Travis Etienne Jr. It wasn't Trevor Lawrence, either. Instead, it was rookie RB2 Bhayshul Tuten, commanding the charge with 74 yards and a score on 15 attempts.

Nov 16, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) celebrates with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) after rushing for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Bhayshul Tuten is just getting started

Bhayshul Tuten popped immediately for the Jacksonville Jaguars in training camp and preseason. In fact, the team was so encouraged by his play that they felt comfortable enough to trade away Tank Bigsby, their former RB2, to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fifth- and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, Tuten got off to a bit of a slow start in his rookie season. Before his breakout against the Los Angeles Chargers, he had gained just 164 yards on 45 carries. He did well in his short-yardage and red-zone opportunities, with three total touchdowns in nine games. Still, he didn't see enough opportunities or efficiency to make a consistent impact outside of his scoring touches. However, Head Coach Liam Coen spoke on a big reason why he might be able to see the field a lot more moving forward — his improvement as a pass protector:

Bhayshul Tuten got some pointers from LeQuint Allen Jr. on how to pass pro. Love it. #Jaguars. pic.twitter.com/IgbXn3Dw9c

— Jared Feinberg (new account :)) (@Jared_NFLDraft) November 18, 2025

"Man, he had a great step up the other day. He's taking it very seriously. I think, like I've mentioned about [RBs Coach Chad Morton], I think he's one of the best I've ever been around, and if not the [best]. The way that he can break down pass protection for guys to really put it in buckets and try to simplify as much as possible the calls. Because there are a lot of calls that go into it based on what the front structure is and the look. So, it's easily the most challenging thing for any rookie running back to get down, but Tuten has done a phenomenal job of being up here every Tuesday with Chad and being up here and getting extra work."

"He's taken pride in getting better at it and improving because I think every back wants to be in as much as they can and to be able to not have to move pieces around, to not make a tell especially, so been pleased with the way he's been able to run, and I think he's close to breaking some of those to create more explosives there. I think I want to see him in the open field like that and see what that could look like, but I've been proud of the way he has been able to pick up the pass protection.”

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