Nobody will deny that Travis Etienne was an offensive mainstay for the Jacksonville Jaguars the past four years. This is why his departure in free agency stings. Sure, sophomore Bhayshul Tuten showed enough big-play capability as a rookie to make you think that he'll be a worthy heir apparent. Having said that, the Jags will miss Etienne's skill set as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield.
Although Etienne missed his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, he became a fixture of the Jacksonville offense once he was back, gaining more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage twice the past four years and falling one-year short of the mark in 2025. Simply put, the former Clemson Tiger gave the Jags a spark, but the Jags weren't going to be able to meet his contract demands. General manager James Gladstone said as much when he talked to the local media.
Etienne ended up signing a four-year, $52 million deal with the New Orleans Saints. And while he left a massive void in Jacksonville, Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus argues that letting him walk was the best course of action.
Travis Etienne could be boom-or-bust with the Saints after leaving the Jaguars
Dalton Wasserman drew up a list of boom-or-bust signings and showed reservations about New Orleans locking up Travis Etienne, arguing that he's a fine running back, but the Saints paid him top-market money to be an elite player. Here's the skinny.
"The headlines for four years in Jacksonville's backfield, Etienne recorded his highest rushing yards since 2021, while his 46 missed tackles forced an 28 explosive runs were top-15 marks in the NFL this past season," Wasserman wrote.
"While those numbers represent an upgrade from the players in the Saints' 2025 backfield, New Orleans is playing Etienne to be an elite rusher," Wasserman continued. "Among 72 running backs with at least 100 carries the past two years, Etienne's 72.3 PFF rushing grade ranks 58th. He has forced just 63 missed tackles in that span after forcing 64 in each of his first two NFL seasons."
Make no mistake, a player is worth what a team is willing to pay him, and the Saints believed Etienne warranted top-10 money. His annual average of $11.75 million ranks ninth among running backs in 2026, so it's fair to say that New Orleans expects big things from the 2021 first-round pick.
Etienne should most definitely have an impact in The Big Easy. And there's no doubt that the Jags will miss his production. That said, they weren't going to spend a premium on a position that's been devalued when they had bigger needs to address.
Aside from Etienne, the Jags also let Devin Lloyd walk but re-signed cornerback Montaric Brown. All things considered, they made the right call because Brown is far from an All-Pro. However, he's a dependable starter, and good boundary corners are tough to find.
What will the Jaguars do after letting Travis Etienne sign with the Saints?
Probably not much. Just a few days after Travis Etienne bolted, the Jaguars gave a two-year, $10 million deal to Chris Rodriguez, who was available after the Washington Commanders opted not to tender him. Already, Jacksonville had Bhayshul Tuten, who showed potential in 2025, and Rodriguez will give their backfield a spark.
Tuten will be RB1, but Rodriguez should also get a big workload, as head coach Liam Coen has always favored a committee approach. With LeQuint Allen Jr. and DeeJay Dallas in the mix, Jacksonville is set at running back. The team's brass could still bolster the position in the later rounds of the draft, but it won't be a top priority.
The Saints got a playmaker in Travis Etienne, but the Jaguars won't feel the blow nearly as much because they have a well-rounded running-back group without allocating substantial resources to it.