Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten was sent home from Wednesday’s practice after falling ill. The second-year back sat out the session as the team wraps up work before the regular-season opener.
For now, this is a big “nothing burger.” The Jaguars do not play until Sunday, September 13, when they host the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium. That leaves Tuten 11 days to get right.
Why Wednesday’s absence is not a Week 1 alarm
Bhayshul Tuten is being listed as questionable with an illness. Nothing in the report points to a longer layoff. He should be fine by the time Jacksonville takes the field against Cleveland.
The 23-year-old is the face of a rebuilt backfield. Travis Etienne Jr left for the New Orleans Saints in free agency, opening a larger role for the 2025 fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech. As a rookie, Tuten ran 83 times for 307 yards and five touchdowns and added 10 catches for 79 yards and two scores.
Speed is still the pitch. He ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the 2025 combine and has shown that burst in camp and joint practices. Head coach Liam Coen has praised how Tuten has “bought in” and taken hard coaching. The next step is playing faster and trusting his reads.
Fantasy take: RB2, keep Rodriguez close
Tuten’s ADP sits around 51, which puts him in mid-round drafts as a midrange RB2. That price assumes a lead share, not a true workhorse. Managers should keep Chris Rodriguez Jr handcuffed to him.
Coen has not hidden the plan. “We’re going to have to be a little bit more by committee,” he said. “Those guys are going to play their part but not come in to try to be anybody but themselves.”
Rodriguez is the power complement and the likely short-yardage option. LeQuint Allen, dealing with a soft-tissue issue, has been the passing-down specialist. When healthy, all three are expected to see snaps against the Browns. That split is the main reason Tuten’s ceiling depends on volume between the 20s and the occasional homerun, not 20-carry games every week.
What to watch before kickoff
Wednesday was the first real absence of this final stretch, not a depth-chart change. Tuten has been listed as the starter or co-starter on unofficial charts all summer. Jacksonville wants him in space. Rodriguez is more likely to punch it in near the goal line.
If Tuten is limited later in the week, Rodriguez would absorb early-down work. Until then, treat the missed practice as rest. An illness 11 days before Week 1 is not the same as a missed walkthrough on Saturday. The Jaguars open at home at 1 PM ET on September 13. Tuten has time.