Why The Jaguars Should Not Re-Sign Travis Etienne

Travis Etienne had arguably the best season of his career in 2025, rushing for 1,100 yards, seven touchdowns, and catching another six. After having back-to-back below-average seasons, his status in the league as a starting running back was coming into question. In 2025, Etienne managed to bounce back with a career season and is now a free agent looking to get paid.

The Jaguars Should Not Re-Sign Travis Etienne

Lack of Value

To keep Etienne on the team short-term, the Jaguars would have to use the franchise tag, paying Etienne $14 million in 2026. The tag likely exceeds his open-market value, and he may refuse to play under it.  Players of similar production, such as Tony Pollard and D’Andre Swift, are receiving an AAV of roughly $7 to $8 million per year over three seasons. This may appear to be a cheap, team-friendly contract, but the Jaguars have more glaring needs to address and are currently $13 million over the cap.

For the 2025 season, Etienne’s total counting stats are impressive and suggest a player worthy of being fairly compensated. However, a closer look into his week-to-week production shows his play regressed considerably over the course of the season, but the Jaguars’ offense was unaffected. Over the final 10 games, Etienne rushed for 59 yards per game on 3.6 yards per attempt. His contributions in the passing game were notable and provided the Jaguars another weapon, it is not enough to make up for his lack of rushing production on a down-to-down basis.

Despite Etienne’s struggles, the Jaguars’ offense took off, averaging 31 points per game after the bye week. Trevor Lawrence was playing the best football of his career, with the story being the ascension of Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington, not Etienne. A big reason for this was the few attempts at establishing a running game altogether. The Jaguars largely disregarded the running game, with Etienne averaging just 16 carries per game over this stretch. In a pass-heavy offense, paying a running back may not be the best fit for the team long-term.

Next Man Up

If Etienne were to walk in free agency, Bhayshul Tuten would be the one to take his place as the team’s starting running back. Tuten finished the season scoring seven total touchdowns on just 386 yards from scrimmage. While his yards per attempt numbers do not stand out, Tuten showed the capabilities of a starting running back in spurts throughout the season.

Tuten has exceptional burst, running the fastest 40-yard dash of any running back at the NFL combine. His acceleration once he finds a lane, paired with his downhill physicality, will give the Jaguars a much-needed running game to threaten the defense. Tuten’s hit against the cap is just $1.1 million in 2026 and will provide the Jaguars with the needed flexibility to address more important positions in free agency.

Paying Etienne would not hamstring the Jaguars’ cap space long-term, given the low market value for running backs. When fully healthy and behind a capable offensive line, he has shown the ability to produce. But with the flashes Bhayshul Tuten has shown, the limited cap space the Jaguars have in a win-now window, and the Jaguars offense being predicated on the passing game, the Jaguars should refrain from paying Travis Etienne, instead addressing the more pressing positions while their window is open.