Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne ready to bounce back in 2022

After sitting out his rookie campaign, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne is ready to make an impact on the football field. The sophomore hasn’t had any setbacks in his recovery and is a full-go for Organized Team Activities

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson met with the local media Monday and said that Etienne has been doing really well through the offseason program and has been cleared for all activities. On the other hand, Pederson noted that the team will continue to monitor him.

"Travis has been cleared for everything. He’s been doing really well through the whole offseason program. We’re still going to monitor and make sure he’s 100 percent. We don’t want to have any setbacks at this stage but he’s been doing really good, and obviously getting Snoop [Conner] caught up to speed and rocking the guys… This is the time to let these guys play a little bit to see exactly what you have when in camp."

A somewhat surprising selection at No. 25 in the 2021 NFL Draft, Etienne suffered a Lisfranc injury in last year’s preseason and missed his rookie season. Throughout the offseason, Pederson has shared updates about the running back’s health and it’s great news to hear that he hasn’t had a setback in his recovery. Here’s a clip of the former Clemson Tiger showing no limitations and catching passes during Monday’s OTAs, via Mia O’Brien of 1010 XL.

The Jaguars will need to lean on RB Travis Etienne in 2022.

Running back James Robinson tore his Achilles late in the 2021 season and will probably miss a good portion of training camp. This will lead the Jaguars to lean on Etienne. When Jacksonville drafted Etienne, they expected him to be a dual-threat and will likely have that role this upcoming season.

As B&T’s own Mario Tovar pointed out, the Jags are in need of more explosive plays, and Etienne logged plays of 20 yards a staggering 55 times at Clemson. In 45 collegiate games, the Louisiana native hauled in 102 receptions for 1,155 yards and eight touchdowns. It won’t be as easy for him to get open and might not get as many targets in the pros but he could end up becoming a key cog in Jacksonville’s offense. Having said that, the Jaguars’ coaching staff won’t solely rely on Etienne. Rookie Snoop Conner and Ryquell Armstead will also get carries to avoid overworking Etienne.

The Jaguars lacked playmakers on offense last year and while it will be one year later than anticipated, Travis Etienne is ready to make plays in 2022.