Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) rushes for yards against Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Saints, Chiefs Both Linked to Explosive 1,107-Yard RB

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The New Orleans Saints could use a little more firepower in the running back room and it sounds like the team at least could be an option for one of the more intriguing running backs heading to the open market.

We're less than one week away from free agency kicking off around the league and the top running backs to watch are Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne Jr., Rico Dowdle, Tyler Allgeier, Isiah Pacheco and Kenny Gainwell, among others. Breece Hall would fit this description as well, but the young New York Jets running back has been talked about as a franchise/transition tag candidate.

The Saints have a star on their hands in Alvin Kamara, but he's now 30 years old and has just one more season on his deal after playing 11 games in 2025. One route would be to draft a guy early in the 2026 NFL Draft, like Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love if he's available with the No. 8 pick in the first round.

The Saints could use some more firepower

If not, free agency would be an intriguing route forward. On Monday, NBC Sports' Matthew Berry shared a column in which he shared all of the tidbits of information he heard from the combine and noted that the Saints and Kansas City Chiefs are potential landing spots for Etienne.

"Among the places I heard for Travis Etienne to land include New Orleans and Kansas City," Berry wrote.

If the Saints are going to sign a running back, Etienne would be a big get. He's 27 years old and is coming off a campaign in which he racked up 1,107 rushing yards on 260 attempts, to go along with seven touchdowns. He's a four-year NFL veteran and has topped 1,000 yards three times. In 2025, Etienne also hauled in 36 catches for 292 yards and six receiving touchdowns. So, overall, he had 1,399 scrimmage yards and 13 total touchdowns.

If the Saints could add him to the running back room along with Kamara, that would give New Orleans two dynamic backs and depth in the case of injury. If you have Etienne dominating the running game and Kamara in the passing game, that arguably would solve the running back room for years to come.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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