Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten won’t play vs. Colts due to finger injury

Bhayshul Tuten’s rookie season is set to end on a whimper. The rookie running back will remain out for a third straight game when the Jacksonville Jaguars play their final regular season road game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17.

Tuten has been nursing a broken finger since Week 14, which was his last game before undergoing surgery. He has since returned to practice, but the team downgraded him to out on Saturday.

Tuten’s injury was initially expected to keep him out for roughly a month, with some fearing it might be season-ending. His Week 17 practice return puts him already ahead of schedule, even with him being ruled out for the Colts game.

Tuten’s absence keeps the Jaguars’ backfield firmly within the grasp of Travis Etienne Jr., who is coming off a pair of lackluster performances. However, while Etienne has been Jacksonville’s top running back all season, his snap share has increased without Tuten. The fifth-year back played a season-high 71.9 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 14 and a season-high 49 snaps in Week 16.

Etienne drew a pair of tough defensive matchups against the New York Jets and Denver Broncos in his first two games sans Tuten, but now has a much more manageable encounter ahead of him. While the Colts have been stout against the run all year, they just allowed 117 rushing yards to Christian McCaffrey in Week 16.

The last time the teams met, Etienne racked up 74 rushing yards on 20 carries in Week 14. He is in line for a similar performance in the rematch, particularly with Indianapolis recently placing star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner on injured reserve for a second time this season.

The post Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten won’t play vs. Colts due to finger injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.