Rumors of Travis Etienne's decline have been greatly exaggerated.
At least, that's how Liam Coen sees it. The Jaguars head coach has been effusive in his praise for the running back and shut down the thought of Jacksonville trading Etienne elsewhere, telling reporters such rumblings are "absolutely inaccurate."
"Everything we've asked him to do, he's done at a good clip for us," Coen said of Etienne on Monday, via Jacksonville.com. "I mean, the ability in the screen game, to hand him jet sweeps. His vision, so far, in the run game has been good. He's done everything we've asked him to do, and more. There's been a consistency."
On paper and tape, Etienne has long occupied such a role in the minds of those designing the game plan. He's been viewed as a weapon since the moment a past Jaguars regime made Etienne draft classmates with quarterback (and Clemson teammate) Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 NFL Draft.
But 2024 delivered concerning signs regarding Etienne's long-term viability. Amid a difficult season in which very little worked outside of lobbing passes to rookie receiver sensation Brian Thomas Jr., Etienne lost his grip on the lead role in Jacksonville's backfield. Tank Bigsby finished with more rushing yards (766) than Etienne's 558 and seemed to provide a higher chance for making impact plays than Etienne, leading many to believe Jacksonville would replace him in 2025.
That didn't come to fruition near the top of the 2025 draft because instead of selecting Boise State's Ashton Jeanty at No. 5, the Jaguars capitalized on an opportunity to trade up to select Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at No. 2. But the offseason didn't solve this riddle, either, not even after Jacksonville added blazing-fast back Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round.
Perhaps a change in coaching staff is what Etienne needs to get back on track as he enters his fifth and final year of his rookie contract. His new coach, Coen, seems to like him enough to take a stand for Etienne in early June.
We'll see if he maintains the same position come September.
