The Jacksonville Jaguars had big-time expectations for 2021 first-round selection Travis Etienne, but unfortunately a Lisfranc injury in the preseason caused him to miss his rookie season. As a result, the Jags’ offense was in a bad predicament to start off the regular season as Etienne brought speed and potentially versatility to the unit.
With his potential impact being missed in 2021, it appears many haven’t forgotten about what Etienne can bring to the table and he’s received a significant amount of attention in the football community, even outside of local reports. A big reason for that is because fantasy football analysts seem high on the former Clemson running back as he returned to the field during organized team activities and was a standout.
The oddsmakers in Vegas also seem to be watching Etienne carefully as he could be a contender for Comeback Player of the Year. As of this moment Tipico Sportsbook has him down with a +3,000 figure (with eight others) to win the award, which are the eighth highest odds in the category. Of course, this means that a $100 wager on Etienne would return a profit of $3,000.
Leading the way with the best odds is a familiar face to the Jags in Tennessee running back Derrick Henry, who has a +300 figure currently. Some other notables in front of Etienne include New Orleans quarterback Jameis Winston and receiver Michael Thomas, and Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey, to name a few.
When looking at the roster, Etienne could be up for a solid season as there is some uncertainty surrounding the Jags’ top running back James Robinson, who is coming off an Achilles tear that he sustained in December. That will put Etienne in a situation where he should get a good amount of reps when training camp starts, as it seems Robinson won’t be ready at the start of it.
Some other factors that could help Etienne’s case to make a push for Comeback Player of the Year is that he might see some snaps as a receiver, though that’s not known yet. Additionally, he could be a favorite target of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, as the two were teammates in Clemson.
