Is Travis Etienne Back?
Following a week 1 explosion combined with the trade that saw Tank Bigsby get shipped off to Philadelphia, Jaguars RB Travis Etienne is ready to retake his claim as the team's feature back.
After losing his rookie year to a foot injury in 2021, Jaguars’ RB Travis Etienne burst onto the scene in 2022. Although only accounting for 5 total touchdowns, he became a significant weapon on the ground and through the air with over 1400 scrimmage yards. 2023 saw even better production from Etienne, again amassing over 1400 yards from scrimmage but this time to go along with 12 total touchdowns. It looked as if the Jaguars had certainly found their franchise running back, and one that would be a staple in the first few rounds of fantasy drafts for years to come.
Then came the 2024 season, which can only be described as disastrous for Etienne and the Jaguars. Finishing with just over 800 total yards and a measly 2 TDs, it appeared as if his career had come crashing down as rapidly as he rose to prominence just two years prior. His ADP in Sleeper leagues this year sat at an unimpressive 104.0. In other words, despite his role as the possible top back in the Jaguars offense, fantasy managers were still avoiding him at all costs.
Then came week 1 of the 2025 season. All of the talk about Tank Bigsby taking reign over the Jaguars backfield was completely and utterly silenced. Much the way new head coach Liam Coen utilized Buccaneers star RB Bucky Irving last year, Etienne received a 61% snap share compared to Bigsby’s 21%, and also out carried him 16-5. Etienne’s 156 total yards were a clear sign to the Jags’ coaching staff that he’s back, and is ready to retake his claim as the team’s feature back.
Fast forward one day later, and the Jaguars shipped backup RB Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles, paving the way for Etienne to continue his full control over the Jaguars’ backfield. This trade is a clear sign to the rest of the team that Etienne is 100% their feature back for at least the 2025 NFL season. This automatically makes him a steal at his ADP of 104 and he should be considered a weekly top 15 RB until further notice. Get him into your lineups ahead of a possible week 2 shootout against the Bengals.
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