Running back contracts became a hot topic in July when franchise-tagged backs Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard didn’t get long-term deals ahead of the mid-summer deadline. The ensuing drama and domino effect even led to Jonathan Taylor requesting a trade from the Indianapolis Colts.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. isn’t concerning himself with the issue, though.
“I feel like I really don’t have a word in it, honestly,” Etienne told reporters Saturday. “I feel like the market is what the market is and for me, to go out there and get the best deal for myself, I have to come out here and work hard each and every day.
“If I don’t produce or be productive, I’m not going to even be in that conversation or there won’t be anybody looking to pay me. The best thing I can do is keep my head down and keep working to win games for my football team.”
When star running backs across the league met on a Zoom call earlier this month, Etienne wasn’t one of the players who participated. But his turn to hunt for a new contract isn’t far off on the horizon.
Etienne, who missed his entire rookie year due to a Lisfranc injury, is due to become a free agent in 2025, although the Jaguars have the right to pick up a fifth-year option on his deal and push his free agency to 2026.
In the mean time, Etienne hopes to prove he offers more value than the running backs of a bygone era.
“I also feel like it depends on the type of back you are because you see some guys getting paid, like Christian McCaffrey for instance, he catches the ball out of the backfield,” Etienne said. “So, I feel like for running backs moving forward you have to diversify your game, you have to be more than just a downhill bruiser in order to be able to be on that level and have leverage whenever you go into those conversations.
“We have to continue to grow and evolve our game because you see the way that football’s going, it’s a passing league now. We just have to evolve as a whole.”
Etienne finished the 2022 season with 1,125 rushing yards, 316 receiving yards, and five touchdowns.
