The Jacksonville Jaguars had high hopes for rookie running back Travis Etienne until he sprained his foot during a preseason game on Monday evening. A postgame MRI revealed a Lisfranc injury, and he’s expected to miss the entire 2021 season.
It’s an injury bad beat for the Jaguars, who expected Etienne would be their primary running back. Etienne injured his left foot against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
Etienne played at Clemson along with Trevor Lawrence. The Jags drafted two of Clemson’s primary offensive weapons in the first round. Etienne was the #25 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and he finished his illustrious career as Clemson’s all-time leading rusher with 4,752 yards.
Urban Meyer hinted that he intended to employ Etienne as both a running back and wide receiver. At Clemson, Etienne was an explosive back with big-play capabilities. He rushed for 20-plus yards 55 times with an average of 37.3 yards per carry.
James Robinson, who surprised the league last season during his rookie year, will now become the primary running back. Robinson, who was an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State, rushed for 1,040 yards on 240 carries in 2020 for the Jags. Robinson rushed for seven touchdowns and caught three more during his rookie season.
Carlos Hyde will now back up Robinson.
The Jaguars are long shots to win Super Bowl 56 at +13000 odds, according to the Mirage Sports Book and Casino in Las Vegas.