It's already been a bounce-back season for Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr.. After a career-low 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the 2024 season, Etienne has shown signs of rejuvenation through the first two weeks in 2025.
He has 214 rushing yards on 30 attempts so far, averaging what would be a career-high 7.1 yards per attempt. He's yet to score on the ground, but Etienne did score a receiving touchdown last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
But after the Jaguars fell to the Jake Browning-led Bengals, trade rumors are now arising for the running back.
“If the Jaguars fall out of contention and want to get a longer look at their rookies, Etienne and his $6.143 million salary would probably be pretty easy to move,” ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano reported.
He also points to Jacksonville's two rookie running backs as reasons to move Etienne. Just this year, they selected Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen Jr. in the seventh.
Through two games, Tuten has received the second most touches in Jacksonville's backfield with 13. Allen, on the other hand, has only seen four touches in 20 snaps this season. With Etienne dominating touches, there's still reason to believe he will be a Jaguar through the trade deadline.
“He's off to an excellent start with the new coaching staff, which believes he's a great fit for the offense Liam Coen wants to run,” Graziano said.
However, as Graziano mentioned, the Jaguars' success could be the reason they do or don't trade Etienne. The trade deadline is right after Week 9 on November 4 at 4:00 pm EST.
Jacksonville's six games before are as follows: vs. Houston, @ San Francisco, vs. Kansas City, vs. Seattle, vs. Los Angeles (London), and @ Las Vegas.
Their success in these games will likely determine how the Jaguars approach the deadline. If Etienne continues producing, teams could involve his name in trade talks through the first half of this NFL season.
