Travis Etienne Jr. DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. was absent from Day 4 of the team's OTA practices, and Jaguars reporter Carlos Sanchez believes "signs are pointing toward" a potential trade for the former first-round pick out of Clemson. After missing his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, Etienne racked up consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he saw his production dip, rushing 150 times for 558 yards and two touchdowns in 15 contests. Tank Bigsby began eating into his workload last year, and now, the team has brought in fourth-round and seventh-round rookie running backs, Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech) and LeQuint Allen (Syracuse). There is a new general manager in Jacksonville and a third head coach since the team selected Etienne, so the two sides could be headed toward a split this offseason. If Etienne is dealt, the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Denver Broncos could be potential suitors that could increase his fantasy football value.

The Jacksonville Jaguars' new regime of coaches and executives is "not so high" on running back Travis Etienne Jr., according to league executives who have spoken with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. As a result, Fowler notes that rookie Bhayshul Tuten could carve out a role and make an impact right away. The Etienne era in Jacksonville has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. He dominated over his first two seasons, combining for 2,925 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns. He even finished eighth in Offensive Player of the Year voting in 2023. However, last season, after Tank Bigsby joined the backfield, Etienne's usage dwindled. He still started all 15 games he played, but he was often out-snapped and out-produced by Bigsby. Etienne finished his age-25 campaign with just 558 rushing yards, 254 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, all of which were career lows. He was already trending down ahead of this offseason, and the Jaguars' decision to bring in new faces (such as general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen) could spell disaster for the former first-round pick.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. struggled to find much space in a 26-23 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He finished with 13 carries for 31 yards as well as three catches for 29 yards. The 25-year-old back out of Clemson had the worst season of his young career, struggling to find efficient yardage in a lackluster offense. While it still seems Etienne Jr. is much better in the passing game than backup Tank Bigsby, Bigsby seemed to take over as the lead rusher and goal-line back. Maybe with a healthy offense and improved roster next season, Etienne Jr. can get back on track, but he will likely still have Bigsby nipping at his heels. Expect Etienne Jr. to remain involved, but not as a workhorse back in the 2025 NFL season.