Big Cat Country on Travis Etienne

ArticleWho is the Jaguars’ new RB1: Bhayshul Tuten or Chris Rodriguez Jr.?
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During this offseason's free agency period, Etienne cashed in on a four-year, $47 million deal with his hometown New Orleans Saints, leaving the running back room perhaps the No. 1 question surrounding the 2026 Jaguars.

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Etienne signed $47M deal with Saints; Jaguars prioritized run-game efficiency over his pass-game upside.

Etienne departed Jacksonville in free agency, signing a four-year, $47 million deal with the New Orleans Saints. Executive vice president Tony Boselli explained the Jaguars' decision not to re-sign him: "Last year, Travis Etienne was our bellcow. He was the back. He was the guy. We love Travis... We also knew we wanted to be more efficient in the run game. Travis is great outside, big-play, really electric in the pass game... We said, 'Hey, we need to get better.' I think we were 31st as far as 3rd-and-to-go yards last year." Boselli noted the Jaguars ranked 32.4% on third-down conversions with a running back, bottom-five in yards per attempt, yards after contact per attempt, EPA per attempt, and success rate. While Etienne excels in the open field and pass game, the Jaguars sought a back more effective in short-yardage and between-the-tackles situations, creating a significant vacancy in the Jacksonville backfield.

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