Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen talks to members of the media after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Friday Aug. 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Jaguars Star Reaffirmed Liam Coen's Belief in Him

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars were thrilled about their potential after hiring Head Coach Liam Coen. His performance as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator in 2024 elicited a lot of optimism that he could turn around Trevor Lawrence's career trajectory and coax an elite showing from him and the rest of the Jaguars' attack.

The excitement wasn't just a one-way street, though. Just as enthused as the Jaguars and their fans were to have Coen on board, he was equally as giddy at the prospect of taking over this team for his first head coaching gig in the NFL. Jacksonville media asked him if he had high hopes about Travis Etienne Jr. in particular:

"I had an opportunity throughout that process after I got the job. I went back to ‘22, ‘23, a lot of ‘22, ‘23 I watched, and man, you saw a guy get involved in space and make people miss and hit the holes hard. And sometimes his timing and circumstances happen, and the way that he was portrayed coming off of a tough year... coming into a new setting, everybody's got a fresh [opportunity] here, really.

"He took advantage of it... It took some time early on in terms of understanding the demands and the standards. Once he really got on the same page, it's been doing this (motioned upwards). So, I've really appreciated his preparation of the system, his knowledge, and the way that, obviously, he played on Sunday.”

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Travis Etienne Jr. has a major opportunity this season

Travis Etienne Jr. is hoping to reassert himself as a premier running back talent in the NFL this year. He got off to a great start, totaling 156 yards from scrimmage against the Carolina Panthers to begin his 2025 season. Now, he's facing an opportunistic matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2.

This game could turn into a shootout, but Head Coach Liam Coen will be looking to establish the run game as well, and ETN could certainly do a lot of damage as a receiver, too. At the least, he's earned a featured role in this offense and the chance to be the Jacksonville Jaguars' workhorse back. When asked if his performance and capabilities made it easier to trade Tank Bigsby, Coen had this to say:

Players with 100+ rushing yards this season:

— Derrick Henry
— Josh Jacobs
— Travis Etienne
— Breece Hall

End of list. pic.twitter.com/RBYZSg7ria
— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 12, 2025

"Yeah, absolutely. No question. It was a luxury to have, where you're sitting there just because you really don't know until you get into a game, and not that one game is the expectation. [Etienne Jr.] set a high standard in Week 1, which is awesome to expect the 140 [rushing yards] whatever it is each week, but I've just been pleased with the way he has gone about it, and he obviously proved it on Sunday.”

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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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