Less Is More for Travis Etienne in 2024?

Less is more for Travis Etienne in 2024?

At least, that appears to be the Jacksonville Jaguars’ plan for the former Clemson star this season.

Etienne has been a consistent and dependable weapon for the Jaguars over the last two seasons, racking up 2,133 rushing yards, 792 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns across the 2022-23 campaigns after missing his entire rookie season in 2021 with a Lisfranc injury.

However, with a heavy workload has naturally come wear and tear, and that’s something the Jags are looking to limit this coming season.

Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson met with the media recently and was asked if the Jags would like to reduce Etienne’s workload some, in order to help their starting running back stay as healthy as possible – and hopefully, even more productive than he already has been.

“Yeah, it’s hard to put necessarily a rep count on it, but you do want to keep him as healthy as you can throughout the season,” Pederson said, “and that’s why we’ve talked about this, too, as a staff and myself, making sure Tank (second-year running back Tank Bigsby) gets opportunities to get out there and take some of the pounding off of Travis.”

Since he stepped foot on the field in 2022 after missing the 2021 season, Etienne has played in every game for Jacksonville over the last two years, and he started all 17 games for his team last year while surpassing the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second straight year.

Although the Jags hope to try to lean on Etienne a little less in 2024, and his total touches may decrease as a result, Pederson sees Etienne “taking another step” this year and believes there is “more out there” for the 2021 first-round pick to get offensively.

“He’s really, yeah, year three with us in the offense, and just seeing his growth – I think there’s more out there that he can get yard wise,” Pederson said. “(It will) definitely be an emphasis, utilizing him more so in the run game and making sure that those yards that are there, that we’re doing the right things, we’re hitting the right holes, we’re anticipating defenders and blocking schemes and all that kind of stuff, and then being able to take the wear and tear off of him with Tank.”

As expected, the Jags recently exercised the fifth-year option for Etienne, keeping him under contract through the 2025 season.

–Photo courtesy of Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

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