Five potential Travis Etienne landing spots amid trade rumors

The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering the 2025 season with a new regime, and there have been rumblings that Travis Etienne Jr. may not fit into the team's plans. Head coach Liam Coen has denied that the team has interest in trading Etienne, but the rumors will likely persist throughout the summer.

Etienne had a down year in 2024 with 558 rushing yards on 150 carries. He added 39 catches for 254 yards. Should the Jaguars decide to move on from him, here are five teams that are potential suitors for the former first-round pick:

Chicago Bears

If any coach would be able to get the most out of Etienne, it is Ben Johnson. The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator is entering his first season as the head coach in Chicago, and he does not have a whole lot on the depth chart behind D'Andre Swift.

Swift averaged 3.8 yards per carry last season, which was only a tick higher than Etienne's 3.7. There was a lot of talk about the Bears making a running back upgrade during the offseason, but they made no notable moves at the position.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have had major running back questions since Tony Pollard departed in free agency. They have a pair of unexciting veterans atop their depth chart in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, and the latter is hardly a lock to make the roster.

Williams averaged just 3.7 yards per carry last season in a Sean Payton-led offense, which is not a positive sign for his outlook.

Etienne is hardly a workhorse, but having another option to battle for the starting job in training camp wouldn't be the worst thing for Dallas.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos let the aforementioned Williams walk in free agency, and second-round pick R.J. Harvey is now slated to enter the season as their starter. Harvey rushed for 1,577 yards and had 25 total touchdowns at UCF last season, so he has plenty of upside.

Payton also likes second-year back Audric Estime, but adding a proven player like Etienne could ramp up the competition for the No. 2 job.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers lost Najee Harris in free agency, and they have not done much to replace him. Jaylen Warren is in line to enter the season as a starter for the first time in his career. Third-round pick Kaleb Johnson could also push for significant playing time, and Pittsburgh added Kenneth Gainwell in free agency.

We know how much Steelers OC Arthur Smith loves to run the ball, so he probably would not hate having a former 1,000-yard rusher like Etienne in the mix.

New York Giants

The Giants have nothing but question marks at the running back position. Tyrone Tracy Jr. showed some nice potential with 839 yards and 4.4 yards per carry as a rookie last season, but it remains to be seen if he can handle a full workload. New York also still has Devin Singletary and drafted former Arizona State star Cam Skattebo.

If Brian Daboll feels that Tracy is going to need some help, he might be open to taking a chance on Etienne.