The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to enter training camp with a stable of young running backs, and fans likely won’t be the only ones paying close attention to how the first-team reps are divided up this summer.
Presumptive starter Travis Etienne is entering a contract year after Jacksonville’s previous regime picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. New head coach Liam Coen has talked Etienne up at various points of the spring, but his standing as RB1 is questionable at best with the ascending Tank Bigsby and fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten on the depth chart, nipping at his heels. The Jaguars also drafted intriguing pass-catching back LeQuint Allen in the seventh round this year.
It’s possible that all four players make Jacksonville’s initial 53-man roster, especially after the team cut ties with 2024 fifth-rounder Keilan Robinson after OTAs. NFL general managers will almost certainly be monitoring how this situation unfolds in Duval, especially teams with shaky backfield depth.
Bleacher Report recently named the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers as teams who fit that bill. If Coen and company are comfortable with a Bigsby-Tuten backfield to start the 2025 regular season, analyst Kris Knox predicts Etienne will be shipped out via trade prior to roster cut-down day.
“The Dallas Cowboys should already be calling about Etienne's availability,” Knox wrote. “They currently have a backfield headlined by Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders — two big question marks, given their recent production — and have shown a willingness to trade for talent post-draft. Dallas acquired wideout George Pickens from Pittsburgh on May 7.
“While the Carolina Panthers have two capable backs in Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle,” he added, “they might also have some interest in Etienne. Carolina drafted his younger brother, Trevor, in April and employs running backs coach Bernie Parmalee. Parmalee was Jacksonville's running backs coach during Etienne's two best seasons.”
Coen might be hesitant to bail on Etienne, especially given the 26-year-old’s rapport with quarterback Trevor Lawrence dating back to their Clemson days, but the writing appears to be on the wall here. Etienne’s expiring contract, and the stable of young backs behind him, make it highly unlikely that he’ll remain in Duval come 2026.
Dallas makes the most sense, as Williams has averaged just 3.6 yards per carry since returning from a torn ACL in 2023. Etienne would be the Cowboys' clear RB1 if he entered that backfield, with speedy rookie Jaydon Blue offering a nice change-of-pace.
If Etienne were to be traded, it likely would have happened around last year’s in-season deadline, or prior to this year’s NFL draft. He’s more likely to stick on Jacksonville’s roster at this point, at least to start 2025, but that could change if a player like Tuten turns heads during camp.
MORE: Travis Hunter has perfect reaction to unprecedented rookie contract with Jaguars