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new NFL season is quickly approaching. Almost all of the NFL’s 32 teams have begun their offseason programs, meaning that preparations for the fall are full-go. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, the expectation is that the new regime of head coach Liam Coen and general manager, James Gladstone, will bring success and return the franchise to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
But a new regime also means changes. Since hiring Coen and Gladstone, the Jaguars have made all sorts of changes to their roster– with the most notable being the selection of two-way star, Travis Hunter, with the No. 2 overall pick. But in addition to drafting Hunter, Coen and Gladstone have added talent everywhere, including the running back spot. That means that the future of starter, Travis Etienne, has been brought up in rumors– with ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler going as far to say that the new regime is not so high on him. But recently, Coen squashed any speculation about getting rid of Etienne, meeting with reporters on June 2 to address the reports.
Coen’s Comments
Even with reports coming out that Etienne’s time in Jacksonville could be nearing the end, Coen was quick to praise the star after Monday’s practice, believing that his value to the team is as high as ever.
“Everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s done at a good clip for us,” Coen said on Jacksonville.com. “I mean, the ability in the screen game, to hand him jet sweeps. His vision, so far, in the run game has been good. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, and more. There’s been a consistency.”
Entering the final season of his rookie deal, 2025 could very well end up being a make or break season for Etienne. A good season could force Jacksonville to lock him in long term and figure out how to proceed with the other running backs on their roster. But if Etienne plays how he did in 2024, struggling to the point where he lost his job to Tank Bigsby by the end of the season, then he may be looking for a new team to play for in 2026 and beyond.
Etienne’s 2024 Struggles
After missing his rookie season in 2021 with a foot injury, Etienne came back in 2022 and quickly burst onto the scene, totaling over 1,100 rushing yards and five touchdowns en route to helping the Jaguars finish 9-8 and earn a playoff spot. Then in 2023, Etienne carried the ball 267 times for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns– all while playing in and starting all 17 games.
But 2024 was a far cry from what he did the previous two seasons. Inconsistent offensive line play severely affected the run game as is, but Etienne did not help his case, rushing for only 558 yards on 3.7 yards per carry. Bigsby then started to slowly earn more carries and by the end of the season, he was taking a majority of the snaps and ended the season with more rushing yards (766) than Etienne. And whenever Bigsby was out there, he looked more explosive and seemed to give the Jaguars a higher chance of making impact plays.
Even though the Jaguars did not draft a running back early in this year’s draft, they did draft Bhayshul Tuten out of Virginia Tech, creating even more questions about Etienne’s usage in 2025. But if Coen’s comments are accurate, then it is very possible that a good camp and preseason could lead to Etienne getting his starting role back.
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