Draws praise from head coach

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Wednesday in an appearance on "The Schrager Hour" podcast that he's "definitely expecting Tuten to have a big year" after the running back had "a really good spring."

Coen's comments only add to the buzz surrounding Tuten heading into training camp, as the second-year back had already been expected to see an enhanced profile in the Jacksonville offense in 2026 after the team let Travis Etienne walk in free agency. As a rookie, Tuten produced seven touchdowns on 93 touches while mainly serving as a short-yardage complement to Etienne, but the 23-year-old ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process and put that explosiveness on display in the Jaguars' playoff loss to the Bills, reeling off three runs for 10-plus yards. The extent to which Tuten's role will evolve in Year 2 is still difficult to project. Jacksonville brought in bruiser Chris Rodriguez (foot) on a two-year deal this offseason, and while he could end up taking most of the snaps on early downs and in short-yardage situations, it might clear the way for Tuten to absorb some of the functions that Etienne had handled in 2025. The usage of Tuten, Rodriguez and to a lesser extent, LeQuint Allen, will all bear monitoring during the preseason to get a sense of how Coen plans to deploy his backs once the regular season gets underway.