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Travis Etienne leaves Jaguars, joins Saints: Grade, analysis
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- Travis Etienne leaves Jaguars, joins Saints: Grade, analysis
After eight season of playing with Trevor Lawrence and five for the Jacksonville Jaguars , running back Travis Etienne will move on when free agency officially opens on March 11 at 4 p.m.
Etienne is slated to join the New Orleans Saints , just a couple of hours from his hometown of Jennings (La). It marks the first time Etienne will be without Lawrence since 2018, and will be a major shakeup to Jacksonville's backfield since he was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
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Jacksonville's path to retaining Etienne appeared difficult on the surface, especially after he posted his best and most consistent season in the NFL since being drafted.
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Ahead of the 2025 season, the Jaguars legitimately did not know who their starting running back would be. The team rostered former third-round pick Tank Bigsby at the time and had drafted Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen in the fourth and seventh rounds, respectively, of last year's draft.
However, it didn't take long for the team to realize Etienne's potential within head coach Liam Coen's offense, and he quickly took the lead as the top tailback shortly into the season.
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Coen praised Etienne multiple times throughout the season for buying into what the team was set out to do and his role within it.
"I have always really thought he was a talented player, but the physicality I think is maybe something that I'm not saying I didn't see it before, I've seen it. I just think it's impressive in person when you see a guy like on the fourth-and-two speed option be met by the safety at the line to gain and just shoulder down, kept going forward," Coen said last November.
Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) leaps to avoid the tackle of New Orleans Saints defensive end Chris Rumph II (98) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
"He falls forward a lot more, I think there was a few he kind of stumbled on in the game a little or got tripped up he wanted to stay on his feet and get some more, but he falls forward a lot more for I guess you could say more what people have maybe in his past called him a scat back or a back that's more in the pass game or outside on the perimeter."
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But, with Etienne set to join the Saints, where does that leave Jacksonville?
What grade do Jaguars get after losing Travis Etienne to Saints? What's next?
Etienne leaving casts a shadow over what was thought to be a fantastic group of backs just a season ago. Still, what Etienne brought to the table isn't necessarily something no one can replace. In fact, Coen's philosophy has never been to rely solely on one player at any given position, especially running back.
Jacksonville's position on allowing Etienne to sign elsewhere ought to be noted as OK after his ensuing contract was revealed to be for $52 million over four years .
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That should be where the conversation ends as giving a running back $13 million per season is untenable for many teams, especially those who are still growing with a franchise QB under contract.
Still, it's easy to see why the Saints valued Etienne so highly. Last season, Etienne totaled 1,107 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, while he caught 36 passes for 292 yards and six receiving scores. Etienne's versatility as a pass-catcher was put on display last season.
In his career, Etienne has totaled 3,798 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground. He's caught 168 passes for 1,338 yards and seven scores through the air.
Still, Jacksonville can make due with Tuten and Allen on the roster already in addition to RB DeeJay Dallas , who was recently re-signed. The Jaguars can also tap into the free agency market with players like former Buccaneers RB Rachaad White on the open market.
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Grade: A
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky at Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars free agency grade: Travis Etienne departure nets an A
