Don’t expect a bounce-back season from Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.
The former Clemson star had a solid first two seasons in the NFL after being selected in the first round of the 2021 draft, tallying more than 1,000 yards and nearly 1,500 scrimmage yards in each season.
In year No. 3, Etienne split carries with Tank Bigsby and had less than 600 yards on the ground and scored just two touchdowns.
Jacksonville’s new head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone reportedly do not have high hopes for the 26-year-old back, however.
And upon taking over in the front office in February, Gladstone immediately made a move to bolster his running back room by selecting Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of the draft, further cementing ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler’s report that “the new regime is not so high on Travis Etienne Jr.”
Fowler also noted that “Tank Bigsby has a fumbling issue,” so the compeтιтion for who may be the Jaguars’ lead back should be wide open. Bigsby fumbled four times this past season.
It’d be expected that Jacksonville deploys a committee approach, with the runway freed up for any of the three backs to prove themselves worthy as a No. 1.
Despite his struggles on the ground, Etienne did play the bigger role as a receiving back this past season as he posted 254 yards through the air, opposed to Bigsby’s measly 54.
Coming off of a 4-13 season, the new leadership’s eyes will be on any players underperforming as they look to fill a roster with their own guys.
The Jaguars swung for the fences in the 2025 NFL Draft by trading up for Travis Hunter.
The two-way Colorado superstar is poised to be a major piece on both offense and defense in his rookie season and could play a part in an offense led by Trevor Lawrence that could lean more heavily on the pᴀss.
