Running back Travis Etienne is coming off the free agent market. The ex-Jaguar will sign with the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Etienne will ink a four-year, $52MM pact, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Former Seahawk Kenneth Walker III agreed to a three-year, $43.05MM deal with the Chiefs around 25 minutes after the negotiating window opened Monday. That briefly left Etienne as the No. 1 runner available. The five-year veteran will now return to his native Louisiana for a sizable raise.
Etienne’s new accord places him first among all running backs in total money, surpassing the Packers’ Josh Jacobs ($48MM). At $13MM per year, Etienne checks in at sixth in average annual value.
After a stellar career at Clemson, Etienne entered the league as a first-rounder (No. 25 overall) in 2021. A foot injury wiped out Etienne’s entire rookie year, but he showed no ill effects during his debut the next season. Etienne has logged three 17-game seasons and a 15-gamer since then. He is a three-time 1,000-yard rusher who has averaged around 43 catches and eight total touchdowns per season.
Etienne endured an uncharacteristically poor year in 2024, after which the Jaguars drafted fellow RBs Bhayshul Tuten (fourth round) and LeQuint Allen (seventh). It appeared Etienne’s touches would decrease then, but that did not end up being the case.
Etienne got off to a hot enough start in Week 1 last year that the Jaguars quickly traded another of their backs, Tank Bigsby, to the Eagles. In what went down as a rebound campaign for Etienne, he ran for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns on a career-high 260 carries (4.3 YPC). The 5-foot-10, 215-pounder added 36 catches for 292 yards and another six scores.
With the 27-year-old Etienne heading to New Orleans, it is fair to wonder what the team will do with incumbent starting back Alvin Kamara. The five-time Pro Bowler still has another season left on his two-year, $24.5MM contract. However, the 31-year-old Kamara is coming off a disappointing 2025 in which an MCL sprain limited him to 11 games.
The Saints restructured Kamara’s deal this past weekend. Doing so could make it easier to trade or release the nine-year veteran, though it is unclear if he would be willing to continue with another team. Leading up to last November’s trade deadline, Kamara was adamant that he did not want to play anywhere else.
Should mark the end of Alvin Kamara’s time in New Orleans.
He’s still there for some reason they just restricted his deal I think
If they move on from Kamara and have Etienne in a room with Neal and Estime, that makes football sense. Off field, he’s a Louisiana native and New Orleans is where mispronounced French names belong.
So much for drafting Love unless this is a one or two year deal.
I can’t wait to see how Kellen Moore utilizes Etienne.
I think it’s very smart of teams picking in the top ten to remove the temptation to draft Love, even if he’s a great prospect.
I completely agree, Oooof.
Notre Dame backs do not have a superstar track record going back many years. As good as he is, it always seemed like a reach to me to draft him that high.
I think Love will most likely be a very good back, but the economics of taking a running back that high are awful. A back taken in the top ten is immediately getting like 4 years and $30 million guaranteed. That’s not a bargain unless he’s fantastic. And you can find very good running backs on the free agent market as we’re seeing. Even landing just a good starting lineman, corner, or receiver at the back of the top ten provides way more value, even if it’s less fun.
Note Dame plays lots of powder- puff teams.
Wow he got PAID, too. I guess teams do see how valuable and versatile Etienne is.
WOW. I hadn’t seen the number. I would not go that high for Etienne, but he’s a great home run threat for them.
4 years $52 million
Whoa didn’t see that coming
I guess we now know what the Jags will do in the draft
Not necessarily. Cohen utilized two mid round picks in Tampa’s dominant run game, and I think they really like Tuten.
I’d definitely expect them to take a bigger back sometime after the first though.
Saints signed LG David Edward’s top
Saints going WR in 1st