Saints Place RB Travis Etienne On IR

Although Etienne was a limited participant in multiple practices last week because of his hamstring, he was healthy enough to play Sunday against the Raiders. The 27-year-old rushed for 57 yards on 13 carries and caught two passes for another 13 yards, but he aggravated the injury in a 35-27 loss.

Etienne is now guaranteed to sit out matchups against the Falcons, an NFC South rival, as well as the Vikings, Giants and Steelers. The Saints then have a well-timed bye, which will give Etienne extra days to heal before a potential Week 9 return against the Browns.

Franchise icon Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller, who combined for 50 yards on 13 carries as the Saints fell to 1-2 last week, should get the bulk of the work in Etienne’s absence. Etienne led the team in carries (30) and yards (128; 4.3 per attempt) during the Saints’ first three games. He also added 11 receptions, though he only totaled 51 yards on those grabs.

Etienne, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher who spent his first five years in Jacksonville, was a high-profile offseason pickup for New Orleans. The Saints fended off the Broncos to reel in the Louisiana native with a four-year, $48MM offer in free agency, though he’ll now miss more time than he did in any of the previous four seasons. Etienne sat out his rookie year with a foot injury, but he posted three full campaigns and one 15-game season from 2022-25. The track record of effectiveness and durability helped Etienne land $28MM in guaranteed money, which ranks 10th at his position.