The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering a new era, and 34-year-old general manager James Gladstone has already made some aggressive moves. Not only did he facilitate a trade up the draft board to select Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall, but he’s made some surprising decisions when it came to the roster he inherited as well.
This offseason, Jacksonville traded wide receiver Christian Kirk to the rival Houston Texans, then released tight end Evan Engram and wide receiver Gabe Davis. Some speculated running back Travis Etienne could be on the trade block as well after a couple of negative reports surfaced about him. ESPN reported just last month that the new regime is “not so high” on him, while SI.com published that a trade may still be possible. However, first-year coach Liam Coen told reporters this week that those reports are false.
“He’s done a great job,” Coen said, via Pro Football Talk. “I don’t really understand some of the stuff I’ve kind of seen out there. That’s absolutely inaccurate.”
Etienne is coming off his worst NFL season, as he rushed for 558 yards and just two touchdowns in 15 games played while averaging 3.7 yards per carry. In 2023, Etienne racked up 1,484 total yards and scored 12 touchdowns while picking up a vote for Offensive Player of the Year, but his 812 scrimmage yards and two total touchdowns in 2024 marked a career low.
The No. 25 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him a fully-guaranteed $6,143,000. How Etienne fits in Coen’s scheme will ultimately decide if he remains in Jacksonville long term, but the Jaguars are excited about what he can provide for this new-look unit.
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Author: Jordan Dajani
June 2, 2025 | 1:30 pm
