Mandatory Credit: © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / © Corey Perrin – USA TODAY NETWORK / © Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
INDIANAPOLIS – Travis Etienne is already one of the most productive backs in the league.
He had another successful season in 2023 surpassing the century mark in rush yards for the second consecutive season. The 25-year-old had become a vital element for the Jacksonville Jaguars offense.
But head coach Doug Pederson said treating Etienne as a workhorse back is “not the recipe” he prefers.
“I would consider knocking a few of those reps down to keep him healthy over the course of the year,” Doug Pederson told NBC’s Matthew Berry at the NFL Combine on Tuesday.
Etienne’s 325 touches last season ranked third amongst running backs. Only Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, and Rachaad White had more attempts than Etienne last season. Pederson also admitted RB Tank Bigsby’s rookie season struggles but said the team remains committed to getting him more playing time in 2024.
Perhaps preserving Etienne in the long run could prove beneficial for the team, even if it hurts his immediate production. Prior to being drafted by the Jaguars, the 25-year-old played four full seasons at Clemson, logging 686 carries.
It’d be fair to say this sounds like another nonsense story out of the NFL combine — at a time when scribes and fans are desperate for information and headlines. But it’s still worth monitoring as the offseason continues.
As for Jacksonville? They will have to pickup the pieces after a disappointing 2023 –losing five of their last six and the division title to the upstart Houston Texans.
