Pro Football Rumors
Regime change has been a common occurrence during Travis Etienne‘s Jacksonville tenure. Although only two GMs have been in place during the former first-round pick’s time in Duval County, the team has effectively gone through three power structures during the RB’s five-season run.
The coach who drafted Etienne (Urban Meyer) proved unfit for NFL leadership but held full personnel control during his eventful several months on the job. Meyer had shown interesting transparency on the night the Jaguars chose Etienne, indicating the team wanted Kadarius Toney with the second of its first-round picks that night. GM Trent Baalke took over as the lead personnel exec following Meyer’s ouster, but Shad Khan fired him as the unpopular exec had affected the team’s 2025 HC search. The James Gladstone–Liam Coen power structure now controls Etienne’s future — until March, that is.
After a down 2024 during a disastrous Baalke-Doug Pederson finale, Etienne looked like he was fading out of the picture this offseason. Trade rumors emerged, with the Clemson alum’s fit in Coen’s offense questioned, and the Jags added two Gladstone-tabbed draftees (Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen) at the position. Those two crowded the backfield, after Tank Bigsby had forced a timeshare with Etienne last season. But Bigsby ended up being the one moved. This has smoothed Etienne’s runway to impress in a contract year.
Entering Week 5, Etienne leads the NFL with 6.1 yards per carry. His 394 rushing yards rank trail only Jonathan Taylor and James Cook this season. Both Cook and Taylor entered the season entrenched as their teams’ starting running backs. The Tuten-Allen draft class and Bigsby’s presence clouded Etienne’s Jacksonville future, but a 143-yard opener — highlighted by a 71-yard run — showed the potential for a contract-year bounce-back effort.
The Jags traded Bigsby to the Eagles for fifth- and sixth-round picks days later, and Etienne has regained his role as the backfield leader. Etienne also posted a 100-yard rushing performance against the 49ers, giving the Jags a road upset over a team with a high-level defense. We are only at the quarter pole for the season, but Etienne’s free agency value has increased based on his start and return to surefire RB1 duty in Jacksonville.
The ex-Trevor Lawrence college teammate had held this position in 2022 and ’23, submitting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons after missing his rookie year with a Lisfranc injury. A costly fumble at the goal line during a narrow Week 1 loss to the Dolphins proved a harbinger of a step backward last year, however, as Etienne stumbled to a 558-yard season in 15 games. Bigsby also outgained him by a wide margin, tallying 766 yards. The landscape looks different for Etienne post-Bigsby, and the 2026 free agent market also lost some key names this summer.
Both Cook and Kyren Williams signed extensions, moving two 2022 draftees out of the free agent picture. Etienne became grouped with the 2022 draft class due to the Jags picking up his fifth-year option — an affordable $6.14MM —...
