Despite Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen putting to bed speculation over his absence from OTA’s, Travis Etienne trade rumours continue to swirl.
Why Was Travis Etienne Absent From Jaguars OTA’s?
Whenever a player is missing from OTA practice, the media simply can not help itself but to speculate on a player’s future.
Typically, it does signal that a player may be about to be placed on the trading block, or is seeking a new deal elsewhere, but Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has been forced to publicly quell the noise surrounding Travis Etienne.
The 26-year-old initially appeared to skip the OTA’s for no apparent reason, but Coen has said that problems with his flights means it was likely a non-issue.
Even after Coen’s attempts to suppress the noise, it has done little to stop the Travis Etienne trade rumours, which were present long before this latest chapter.
It comes soon after the Jacksonville Jaguars took considerable steps to consolidate the backs in their roster.
Running backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen arrived in the fourth and seventh rounds of the 2025 NFL draft respectively, and as such, ramped up the competition for spots ahead of next season.
The arrival of new head coach Liam Coen has coincided with Tuten and Allen’s selections, which may have been driven by an overhaul from the new head honcho.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also reported that Tuten is expected to be make an immediate impact, particularly with new Jacksonille regime far from keen on Etienne, while they are also worried about Tank Bigsby’s “fumbling issue”.
Travis Etienne Jacksonville Jaguars Contract
Travis Etienne enters the final year of his current four-year contract with the Jaguars, meaning he is not contractually positioned to be the future of Jacksonville’s RB core.
It would seem that even Tank Bigsby may be ahead of him in the pecking order, having surpassed his metrics this past season.
After clocking in with over 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive years in 2022 and 2023, Etienne’s productivity plummeted last season.
He rushed for a mere 558 yards on a career-low 3.7 yards per-carry in 15 appearances. As a result, his role looks to be in jeopardy as the new Jaguars coaching team assess their options.
Minnesota Vikings Caught Up in Travis Etienne Trade Rumours
The latest Travis Etienne trade rumour sees the Minnesota Vikings thrown into the speculation.
Minnesota look to be in a good spot as they head into an important offseason; interior linemen Will Fries and Ryan Kelly arrived, along with 2025 first round draft pick, Donovan Jackson, and third round receiver, Tai Felton.
It is a stacked offensive core that should be able to help J.J McCarthy’s ascension into the number one signal caller spot, after Sam Darnold’s departure to Seattle.
One position that could be improved is at running back, and although locking down Aaron Jones was astute business and Jordan Mason remains a solid option, a backup plan — particularly someone who could excel in the receiving game — could add another dimension.
In return, the Jacksonville Jaguars would get a 2026 fifth round pick, and it is likely they absorb a portion of Etienne’s remaining $6 million on his contract, in order to cut the dead weight.
The Dallas Cowboys Could Benefit From Etienne Pick Up
In 2024, the Dallas Cowboys were among the worst rushing attacks in the league, languishing all the way down in 27th in yardage and dead-last in touchdowns.
Rico Dowdle was largely the reason they weren’t last in every metric, but they have just seen him leave in free agency, while the reunion with Ezekiel Elliot proved to be a catastrophic mistake after being released in December. Even the arrivals of Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams have sparked little hope, with both coming off mediocre campaigns.
With talent thin on the ground in the RB room, Etienne could likely step in as first or second choice, even with his powers waning.
