Which Jaguars' Contract is Worth Watching?

The Jacksonville Jaguars do not have as many contract questions facing them entering the 2025 offseason as they have had in past seasons; there are not many Calvin Ridley, Jawaan Taylor, Arden Key, Josh Hines-Allen, or Evan Engram situations this time.

With that said, they do have two contract year players who were former first-round picks: running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd, first-round selections in the 2021 and 2022 NFL Drafts.

It is Etienne whose contract may be the most interesting, with The Athletic selecting Etienne as their pick for the Jaguars' contract to keep an eye on in 2025.

"Etienne is playing on his fifth-year option before hitting free agency, and the 26-year-old is hopeful the timing works in his favor. Coach Liam Coen is so often praised for his QB guidance, but his offensive philosophy remains rooted in a strong running game," The Athletic's Jeff Howe said.

"Etienne had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons before a forgettable 558-yard output over 15 games in 2024. Tank Bigsby led the Jags in rushing, and they drafted Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round. Etienne has the talent to be a lead back, but he’ll have to produce to earn it. This season could very well determine whether Etienne enters free agency as a marquee target or a back who gets lumped in with the pool of veterans who cycle through one-year deals."

Etienne is one of only five running backs in franchise history to have 1,000 rushing yards in a season. In fact, he has done it twice. In his first two seasons, 2022 and 2023, he surpassed the 1000-yard mark.

Etienne started in all 17 games in 2023, recording 267 rushing attempts for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 58 passes for 476 yards and one touchdown. Etienne totaled 1,484 scrimmage yards, joining RB Maurice Jones-Drew as the only Jaguars to reach 1,000 scrimmage yards in their first two active NFL seasons.

But in 2024, injuries limited Etienne to career-low figures across the board. Combine this with a step forward from fellow Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby and Etienne's future status is certainly a key storyline to watch through the course of the season.