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Three years after beginning his professional career, Travis Etienne Jr. faces the most challenging stretch of his career. As the Jacksonville Jaguars transition into a new era in the 2025 offseason, the running back suddenly finds himself as a top trade candidate with training camp on the horizon.
While Etienne is still on his rookie deal, he celebrated his 26th birthday in January. Though still atop the Jaguars' depth chart, he is easily the oldest member of the backfield, particularly with rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. joining the room.
However, the biggest issue with Etienne is not his age. After bursting onto the scene and looking like a future superstar as a rookie, his production and efficiency have taken a nosedive. Etienne's total rushing production and yards per carry have declined each year since his rookie season, reaching an all-time low in 2024.
After rushing for 1,125 in 2022, Etienne still topped 1,000 yards in year two, but did so on a putrid 3.8 yards per carry. Yet, he managed to hold off rookie Tank Bigsby to keep a firm grasp on the starting role, while notching a career-high 11 touchdowns.
Unfortunately, there were few positives to take away from Etienne's 2024 campaign. Despite missing just two games, Etienne fielded just 150 carries, over 100 fewer than he did in 2023. He posted an even worse 3.7 yards per attempt, resulting in a career-low 558 rushing yards. Etienne ended the year with 18 fewer carries and 208 fewer rushing yards than Bigsby, marking the first time in his career he was not the Jaguars' leading rusher.
Now at the lowest point of his career, Etienne has quickly fallen from a premier workhorse back to in danger of falling entirely out of the rotation. The Jaguars could look to move him before their 2025 offseason training camp begins to maximize his waning value.
Travis Etienne is Jaguars' top trade candidate
Since taking over the backfield as a rookie, Etienne has still started every game he has been healthy enough to play. However, with Bigsby's second-year leap making him look like the far more effective runner, his grip on that role is much less secure than it was a year ago.
Etienne still took the majority of the backfield snaps, but his portion was much more even with Bigsby in 2024. After commanding a 73 percent offensive snap share in 2023, Etienne took just 47 percent in 2024. In turn, Bigsby's playing time rose from 12 percent as a rookie to 34 percent in 2024.
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![The Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, left, answers questions during a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. with General Manager James Gladstone, right. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jacksonville-Jaguars-WR-Travis-Hunter.jpg)
The two lead backs were already trending in opposite directions, but everything changed in the 2025 offseason. The Jaguars fired Doug Pederson and replaced him with the offensive-minded Liam Coen, who has already made an impact on the backfield. Shortly after hiring Coen, Jacksonville added Tuten and Allen in the draft to set up an intriguing positional battle in training camp.
While Allen is on the roster bubble as a seventh-round pick, Tuten enters the organization with a fair amount of hype. The 22-year-old earned second-team All-ACC honors in both of his years at Virginia Tech, racking up 2,022 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in his brief tenure. As an explosive athlete with top-end speed, Tuten is arguably the best fit in Coen's offense of the four running backs on the Jaguars' 2025 offseason roster.
As good as Tuten has looked in the spring, Etienne still controls the backfield. But with the roster currently shaping up to form a three-headed monster, the Jaguars might find it in their best interest to trade one of their assets before the preseason begins. Etienne is not necessarily the weakest link of the group, but is the most expendable with value in the trade market.
Potential Travis Etienne landing spots
Unlike many other running backs potentially on the trade block, Etienne still has quality years ahead of him. If the Jaguars make him available during training camp, many teams would be willing to relinquish quality assets to acquire his expiring contract.
Etienne could attract the likes of the New England Patriots or Dallas Cowboys, who both need backfield reinforcements. The Patriots and Cowboys each made their own running back additions over the offseason, but watching the group's progress, or lack thereof, in training camp might be enough to entice further moves.
Etienne's hometown team, the New Orleans Saints, could also use additional running back support. While Alvin Kamara still leads their group, Kendre Miller has largely underwhelmed as his ideal complement. The versatile Kamara has infamously never reached 1,000 rushing yards in a single season, leaving a lot of touches up for grabs that are currently in question.
For Etienne, beginning the 2025 season with a new team could be the best course of action for his career. Many players in similar situations benefit from a change of scenery. Still just four years into his career, Etienne desperately needs a fresh start as an unfortunate victim of the Jaguars' regime change.
