Travis Etienne Jr. didn’t have the smoothest start to his career. After getting picked in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars running back suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in his second preseason game.
A year later, Etienne finally made his NFL debut and finished his de facto rookie season with 1,441 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. Now he’s expecting bigger things in 2023 with his foot injury even further in the rear view mirror.
“Last year, was more about getting healthy and getting back,” Etienne told reporters after an OTA practice earlier this week. “This year, I didn’t have to worry about my foot. It’s great. So I’m able to work on football. All football.”
While Etienne was focused on football this offseason, the Jaguars spent a lot of effort surrounding him with talent in the running back room. The team re-signed JaMycal Hasty before he reached free agency, added former Cleveland Browns back D’Ernest Johnson, and drafted Tank Bigsby in the third round.
“It keeps the wear and tear off my body,” Etienne said. “I don’t have to go and ding myself up each and every play. I got somebody else to take a couple licks off of me. I love that.”
Etienne averaged 9.7 carries per game through the first seven weeks of the 2022 season. After the Jaguars traded James Robinson in October, Etienne averaged 15.2 carries in the team’s last 10 games of the regular season.
