Pro Football Focus (PFF) highlighted eight “boom-or-bust” signings during 2026 NFL free agency – signings that “carry more risk, and potentially more reward, than others.”

Among those boom-or-bust signings, according to PFF, is Travis Etienne.

As you know, the former Clemson star running back joined the New Orleans Saints on a lucrative four-year deal after spending the first five years of his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

PFF noted that the Saints are paying Etienne to be an elite running back, and he’ll need to elevate his game to a new level in New Orleans.

Here’s what PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote about Etienne as a boom-or-bust signing by the Saints:

“Coming into the offseason armed with the eighth overall pick in the draft, New Orleans was thought to be among a handful of teams that could draft Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. That would’ve made sense, given that their running backs placed 30th in PFF rushing grade and dead last in yards after contact and explosive runs in 2025.

“Instead, the Saints opted to hand ex-Jaguar Travis Etienne Jr. a four-year, $47 million contract that makes him one of the 10 highest-paid running backs in the NFL. The headliner for four years in Jacksonville’s backfield, Etienne recorded his highest rushing total since 2021, while his 46 missed tackles forced and 28 explosive runs were top-15 marks in the NFL this past season.

“While those numbers represent an upgrade from the players in the Saints’ 2025 backfield, New Orleans is paying Etienne to be an elite rusher. Among 72 running backs with at least 100 carries over the past two years, Etienne’s 72.3 PFF rushing grade ranks 58th. He has forced just 63 missed tackles in that span after forcing 64 in each of his first two NFL seasons.

“Teams are often wary of doling out high-end contracts to running backs unless the player is elite and the environment is right. Etienne is a solid player with three 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, but he likely isn’t considered elite by most evaluators. The Saints also recorded the second-lowest PFF run-blocking grade in the NFL in 2025. There are relatively similar odds that the Saints either fixed their run game or got well out ahead of their skis with this signing.”

The 2025 campaign marked the final year of Etienne’s rookie contract, with Etienne playing on his fifth-year option after being selected by the Jaguars with the 25th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

This past season, Etienne surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the third time in his four active seasons after missing his entire 2021 rookie campaign due to a season-ending Lisfranc injury he suffered in that preseason. He ran for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns on 260 carries in 2025, while also catching 36 passes for 292 yards and six scores.

The 27-year-old Etienne ranked 11th in the NFL in rushing yards this past season and 17th in the league in yards from scrimmage with 1,399. He accounted for a career-high 13 total touchdowns.

Overall, in 66 career NFL games from 2022-25, Etienne has rushed for 3,798 yards and 25 touchdowns on 897 carries while also catching 168 passes for 1,338 yards and seven more scores.

Second-year Saints head coach Kellen Moore is high on Etienne and excited about acquiring him.

“Huge fan of this guy going back to Clemson,” Moore said during a press conference on March 12. “Following his career in Jacksonville – his vision, his speed, obviously, to make some home run plays, and then his ability to make plays. Fired up to have him.”