Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Stays limited in practice
Rotowire
Etienne (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
Etienne was listed as a limited participant in practice all of last week before sitting out the Jaguars' 32-16 win over the Patriots in London. Though head coach Doug Pederson termed Etienne as day-to-day Monday after previously considering the running back week-to-week, Etienne hasn't yet taken a step forward in terms of practice activity. A return to full participation in practice Friday would alleviate much of the concern about Etienne's status for Sunday's game against the Packers, but the extent of the running back's role would still be difficult to project if he plays. After Tank Bigsby stepped in as the lead runner Week 7 and piled up 118 yards and two scores on 26 totes to bring him up to 6.2 yards per carry on the season, he may have earned himself a larger share of the backfield touches moving forward, regardless of whether Etienne plays or not.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Considered day-to-day
Rotowire
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that Etienne (hamstring) will work with trainers and handle individual drills in Wednesday's practice and is considered day-to-day, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union reports.
Etienne's hamstring injury forced him to sit out Week 7 against the Patriots, but he was listed as questionable leading up to Jacksonville's win in London. Pederson noted that Etienne had a good week of practice despite Jacksonville erring on the side of caution by holding him out against New England, so the running back should have a better chance at suiting up Sunday versus the Packers, as long as he's able to increase his practice reps Thursday and Friday without any setbacks. Tank Bigsby thrived in the lead role versus New England, recording his second game of the season with over 100 rushing yards, and his third game in the last four weeks with over 90 yards on the ground.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Friday that Etienne (hamstring) will be a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup against the Patriots, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.
Etienne was deemed week-to-week Monday morning and has since turned in back-to-back limited practices. It wouldn't be surprising if Etienne officially is listed as limited again Friday and ultimately carries a questionable designation into the weekend, as official confirmation on his status may not arrive until roughly 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 9:30 a.m ET kickoff. Tank Bigsby will be the favorite to start versus New England if Etienne is unable to go, while D'Ernest Johnson will figure to handle the majority of pass-catching work.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Limited practice participant
Rotowire
Etienne (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.
After head coach Doug Pederson deemed Etienne week-to-week following his early removal from Sunday's 35-16 loss to the Bears, the running back's ability to practice in any capacity Wednesday comes as a surprise. D'Ernest Johnson took 77 percent of snaps after halftime with the Jaguars trailing by multiple scores, but Tank Bigsby likely would take over as the lead runner if Etienne were to miss Sunday's game against New England.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Remains limited in practice
Rotowire
Etienne (shoulder) was a limited practice participant Thursday.
Etienne was a limited participant all last week and now again for the first two practices of Week 6. He ended up aggravating his shoulder injury during Sunday's 37-34 win over Indianapolis and took just 17 percent of snaps in the second half (down from 58 percent pre-halftime). Tank Bigsby took advantage with 128 total yards and two impressive TDs, leading to speculation he could take over the featured role (or at least force a near-even split with Etienne). Jaguars coach Doug Pederson doesn't necessarily agree, saying, "Travis is our guy. Tank had a good game. That's just the way games go," per Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union. Etienne appears on track for another start this Sunday against the Bears in London, but it won't be surprising if he cedes a significant portion of the backfield snaps/touches to Bigsby again.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Has shoulder issue
Rotowire
Coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Etienne "got popped...pretty good" on his shoulder during Sunday's 37-34 win over the Colts, Garry Smitsof the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union reports.
Etienne logged 22 of a possible 58 snaps on offense Sunday en route to rushing six times for 17 yards and catching six of his seven targets for 43 yards in the contest. However, Pederson said that Etienne's carry count was limited to not put him more at risk. Meanwhile, Tank Bigsby (23 snaps) ran 13 times for 101 yards and two TDs and caught his only target for 28 yards. While this doesn't sound like an issue that will impact Etienne's status for this weekend's game against the Bears, there's a pretty good chance he'll be on the Jaguars' initial Week 6 injury report.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Productive as receiver in win
Rotowire
Etienne rushed six times for 17 yards and brought in six of seven targets for 43 yards in the Jaguars' 37-34 win over the Colts on Sunday.
Etienne shook off a shoulder injury he dealt with during the week to open the game in his usual lead-back role, but it was backfield mate Tank Bigsby who ultimately was the standout performer of the two on the ground. Etienne was outgained by a 101-17 margin on the ground, although he did partly make up for it with a season-best receiving line. Nevertheless, with Bigsby now looking like the more explosive of the two backs for two consecutive games and also logging seven more carries than Etienne on Sunday, it appears the Jaguars' ground game might be in true flux heading into a Week 6 matchup against the Bears in London.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Cleared to play, as is Bigsby
Rotowire
Etienne (shoulder) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Colts after logging three limited practices, Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union reports.
Etienne did enough to stave off an injury designation Friday, despite failing to reach full practice participation at any point during the week. Tank Bigsby (shoulder) followed the same practice regimen and also has been cleared to play. Bigsby rushed for 90 yards on just seven carries in the 24-20 Week 4 loss to Houston, while Etienne spent a chunk of the first half on the sideline due to his shoulder injury. Etienne figures to get the bulk of the rushing workload Sunday, but Bigsby's efficiency coupled with both players' shoulder injuries add some uncertainty to Jacksonville's backfield situation.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Limited in practice
Rotowire
Etienne (shoulder) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL 92.5 FM Jacksonville reports.
The same goes for Tank Bigsby, who suffered his shoulder injury in a Week 2 loss to Cleveland and was limited to special teams for the rest of the game. Bigsby then played Weeks 3 and 4, taking on a bigger role this past Sunday after Etienne suffered a shoulder injury of his own early in the first quarter against Houston. Etienne returned later in the first half and ended up leading the Jacksonville running backs in snap share (52 percent) and carries (11), but Bigsby made the most of his seven carries with 90 rushing yards, including a 58-yard run in the second half. Etienne's limited practice participation to start the week tentatively puts both running backs on track to play this Sunday against the Colts.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Returns to contest
Rotowire
Etienne (shoulder) returned to Sunday's game against the Texans.
Etienne had been forced out of the game with a shoulder injury, but he was able to return to the Jaguars' Week 4 backfield, which also includes Tank Bigsby and D'Ernest Johnson.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Efficient in lopsided loss
Rotowire
Etienne rushed 11 times for 68 yards and brought in four of six targets for 17 yards in the Jaguars' 47-10 loss to the Bills on Monday night.
Considering game script turned against the ground attack fairly quickly and the Bills defense was flying around with confidence as a result, Etienne had a very productive performance from an efficiency standpoint. The fourth-year back's rushing yardage, reception total and reception yardage were all season highs, as was his target count. Etienne has topped out at 13 carries in terms of a single-game high over the first three contests, however, as Jacksonville has often been in the trail position. Next up for the versatile veteran is a Week 4 road divisional clash against the Texans on Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Finds end zone again
Rotowire
Etienne rushed the ball 13 times for 52 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 18-13 loss to the Browns. He added three receptions on four targets for six yards.
Etienne accounted for 13 of the 19 carries recorded by Jacksonville's skill-position players, in part due to the mid-game departure of Tank Bigsby (shoulder). Etienne had a middling performance from an efficiency perspective, though he managed long runs of 20 and 12 yards and also punched in the team's lone touchdown from four yards away and now has found the end zone in each of his first two games of the campaign. Bigsby failed to record a carry before his exit, but if he proves to be healthy for a Week 3 matchup against Buffalo, Etienne is likely to be capped at around 15 carries once again.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Key fumble in Week 1 loss
Rotowire
Etienne rushed 12 times for 44 yards and a touchdown and brought in two of three targets for 15 yards in the Jaguars' 20-17 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Etienne's season-opening experience soured significantly with a game-changing fumble, with the third-year back losing the ball at the end of a 10-yard run down to Miami's three-yard line to waste a six-play, 94-yard drive late in the third quarter. Jacksonville appeared on the precipice of what could have been a game-sealing touchdown considering the Jaguars were already up 17-7, but the resulting touchback from the end-zone recovery gave the Dolphins immediate life. Etienne also notably saw backfield mate Tank Bigsby, who had a washout of a rookie 2023 campaign, match him in carries and out-gain him by 29 rushing yards, but whether that was an outlier will only be known in coming games. Etienne will aim to atone for the forgettable afternoon when the Jags host the Browns in Week 2 next Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Looks good in preseason finale
Rotowire
Etienne rushed the ball seven times for 46 yards in Friday's 31-0 preseason win over Atlanta. He added one reception on one target for three yards.
Etienne and the majority of the Jaguars' starters took the field for two drives and experienced plenty of success. More interesting than the stat line was Etienne's usage, as he tallied seven carries to Tank Bigsby's three on the opening two possessions. Bigsby came on the field for a pair of short-yardage situations -- he was stuffed on the first -- but Etienne handled the vast majority of the workload. Jacksonville's coaching staff has discussed the desire to lighten Etienne's usage in 2024, but he'll be the clear lead back and could shoulder a very significant workload until Bigsby proves he can have success in the NFL.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Workload to decline?
Rotowire
Doug Pederson said during OTAs that the Jaguars want to lean on Etienne less during the 2024 campaign in order to keep him healthy, Michael DiRocco of ESPN reports.
Pederson said it's "hard to put necessarily a rep count" on Etienne's weekly touches, but that looking ahead to 2024 season the coaching staff is "making sure [Tank Bigsby] gets opportunities to get out there and take some of the pounding off of [Etienne]." As DiRocco notes, Etienne finished 2023 accounting for 76 percent of the running back touches for Jacksonville, a high workload that coincided with a disappointing rookie showing for Bigsby. If either D'Ernest Johnson or Bigsby can emerge as a more consistent backup, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Etienne's total touches do indeed decrease this season. While that would certainly represent a blow to Etienne's fantasy ceiling, the 2021 first-round pick does his damage more with efficiency and speed than grinding out carries between the tackles. Jacksonville picked up Etienne's fifth-year option earlier this offseason, which keeps him under contract through 2025.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Fifth-year option picked up
Rotowire
The Jaguars officially exercised Etienne's fifth-year option Monday.
GM Trent Baalke said Saturday that Jacksonville would pick up the fifth-year options of both Etienne and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and the team has now made both moves official. Since missing his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury, Etienne has compiled back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing campaigns and totaled 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Now signed through the 2025 season, Etienne is locked in atop Jacksonville's backfield for the next two years, with Tank Bigsby and D'Ernest Johnson available to back him up.
Etienne rushed the ball 16 times for 57 yards in Sunday's 28-20 loss to the Titans. He added five receptions on six targets for 30 yards.
Etienne was scripted out of rushing attempts in the second half with the Jaguars chasing the lead, though he still managed to top 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in as many pro seasons. He also matched his season high with five receptions -- his first such performance came in Week 1 -- and ended the campaign with 476 receiving yards and 58 receptions, both of which were significant improvements over his rookie season. Given his improvement in his second year, it's almost certain that Etienne will enter 2024 as Jacksonville's lead back with the chance to work effectively as both a rusher and pass catcher.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Tallies 10th touchdown
Rotowire
Etienne rushed the ball 14 times for 35 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-27 loss to the Browns. He added four receptions on four targets for 37 yards.
Etienne played through a rib injury that had him questionable leading up to Sunday's contest and accounted for 14 of the team's 17 touches by running backs. He was inefficient with those touches by averaging just 2.5 yards per carry, though he did manage a long run of 16 yards midway through the first quarter and also found the end zone on a one-yard dive late in the third quarter -- his 10th total score of the campaign. Etienne was also encouragingly involved as a pass catcher and has exactly four receptions in each of his last three games. While his workload isn't in question, he will face another tough defense in a Week 15 matchup against the Ravens.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Expected to play against Cleveland
Rotowire
Etienne (ribs) is likely to play against the Browns on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Etienne has been dealing with an injury to his ribs since getting hurt against Houston in Week 12, but he was able to suit up last Monday in a loss to Cincinnati and appears set to do so again Sunday against Cleveland. The talented running back is likely to have quarterback Trevor Lawrence available to get the ball to him, as Lawrence is trending toward playing despite dealing with a high-ankle sprain. Etienne has only one 100-yard rushing game on his ledger this season, but he's established a reliable floor with at least 70 all-purpose yards in all but three of his 12 contests thus far.
... See More... See Less
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Still dealing with rib injury
Rotowire
Etienne (ribs) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.
Etienne played through the same injury Monday against Cincinnati, taking 15 touches for 79 yards and a touchdown in a game that saw quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffer a high-ankle sprain. The Jaguars haven't ruled Lawrence out for Sunday's game against Cleveland, but that could end up happening later in the week. If so, Etienne might be leaned on even more than usual, albeit within the context of a weaker-than-usual offense that's missing Lawrence, wideout Christian Kirk (core) and potentially left tackle Walker Little (hamstring).
