The Jaguars are not expected to place the franchise tag on running back Travis Etienne, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, positioning the former first-round pick to hit free agency in March.
Etienne, 27, has been Jacksonville’s starting running back for the past four years and just finished a resurgent season following a disappointing 2024 campaign. He ranked 11th in the NFL with 1,107 rushing yards, 17th with 1,399 yards from scrimmage, and 10th with 13 rushing and receiving touchdowns. Etienne also registered the 14th-most missed tackles forced (46) and 10th-most yards after contact (831), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), who also gave him strong grades as a pass blocker.
Those are strong numbers, but they do not justify a franchise tag projected to be $14.5MM (via OverTheCap), which would be the third-highest APY among NFL running backs. A transition tag at $11.7MM is more reasonable, but it will be difficult for the cap-strapped Jaguars to carry that number into free agency. It would also set a high floor on a potential extension.
The Jaguars also have 2025 draftees Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen on the roster, though neither had a major role as rookies. Instead of pursuing a more expensive Etienne extension, the team could opt for a cheaper veteran to add to their young backfield. This year’s draft class is less strong at the position.
Etienne said immediately after Jacksonville’s season ended that he was not focused on his contract situation. He later told reporters (via NFLonFOX) that he did not intend to sign with a cold-weather team. That would seem to rule out several teams, though Etienne could always change his mind once the contract offers hit the table.
Arizona?
Best landing spots:
Titans
Cardinals
Broncos(if JK doesn’t return)
Commanders(despite cold weather, young franchise QB that needs consistent run game)
Hate to break it to you but Denver is very much a cold weather city
He could manage tho
Never pay big money for a RB.
Don’t you ever get tired of being wrong with this?
Which team over the last 20 years won a chip spending big money on a RB?
I actually see your point, but just to answer the question, there’s the Eagles…
In service to your point, there haven’t been really been any in the last 25 years. On the other hand, not many teams pay that money to non-QBs, tackles, or edge rushers anymore. A seventeen (soon to be eighteen!) game season is too long for backs to stay available in a non-rotation. I wouldn’t call the notion silly in an absolute sense, as it still could make sense for certain teams depending on circumstance, but the game is trending hard away from single workhorse backs these days.
So the Eagles won with that deal when Barkley was a very low cap %. He represented under 2% of the total cap allocation in 2024.
The big deal money was there but the cap hit was back loaded. So while you’re right they paid him good money, they won when the cap hit was at its lowest.
Well, there’s nothing saying that another team couldn’t do that particular thing with the big contract. Most of them do that with big deals.
Don’t misunderstand me, though-I do mostly agree with your overall premise. I don’t think it’s absolute, but I do think that it’s mostly true.
My point is reductive, but over the last 20 years it holds up very well.
You’ll get people who like to say there are successful teams who win with big money RBs like the 49ers but I narrow the focus strictly to teams who have won it all and the theme with teams over the last 20 years is that big money RBs are a hindrance on the roster.
Yeah because that had backfired on Baltimore and Buffalo……… depends on who it is smh.
The Jags would be crazy to let this guy walk.
Buccaneers could use him and steal one from Coen
Watching Tuten in the playoff game, he could be their future but they will probably add someone from the draft. Unlike eggs, young backs are a dime a dozen.
If you toss his rookie season, Etienne has fumbled just twice in his last 810 touches. I doubt the Jags could find anyone who could match that level of ball security.
It seems like the tag should be a good solution to me, actually. One year at $14.5 million for a 267 year old back who has been essential to your offense seems reasonable for a playoff team that now doesn’t have to commit long term money to a good but not quite elite back. It seems like a great deal for Jacksonville.
lol, 27 year old back
Once your a senior citizen a back can feel like it’s 267 years old.
Kansas City? He would be what they need
Saints should kick the tires ¯\_(ツ)_/¯