Travis

Etienne

If we’re reading between the lines, Moore didn’t exactly give a “yes” or “no” answer, but he did say that Kamara is “part of the running back room” and added that the combination of Kamara and Travis Etienne is “a great situation” for the team. Moore was evasive about Kamara’s future with the team when asked about it earlier this month, and there have been rumors that the soon-to-be 31-year-old back may opt to retire this offseason. Kamara’s opportunities are expected to drop significantly with Etienne now in the building, but he could still see plenty of usage as a third-down option if he remains on the team in 2026. For now, Kamara is a Saint, but Moore’s quote didn’t exactly instill confidence that he’ll remain with the team this season.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported last week that Etienne “could fit” with the Saints. Now, the 27-year-old back is headed to the Big Easy to presumably take over as the team’s RB1, immediately putting Alvin Kamara’s already uncertain future even more in doubt. Etienne rushed 260 times for 1,107 yards last season while also scoring seven times on the ground. He added another 36 catches for 292 yards and six receptions, averaging a solid 5.6 yards per touch on the season. Etienne is a versatile three-down back whose pass-catching upside will put him in the conversation as a high-end RB2 in fantasy leagues next season. Assuming a high-volume role in New Orleans, he should have a chance to replicate last year’s success when he finished as the RB14 in fantasy points per game.

This is interesting in the wake of Alvin Kamara’s contract restructuring, which some outside observers have speculated could foreshadow a retirement. We haven’t seen the Saints bandied around as a running back market yet, but the room is certainly barren past Kamara. Etienne should do quite well for himself by Wednesday.

In other words, RJ Harvey-reliant managers, keep your head on a swivel. Kosmider names Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, and Rico Dowdle as three backs the Broncos could have interest in. He adds that it’s “within the realm of possibility” that J.K. Dobbins returns, and also notes that the Broncos could search for young depth on Day 3 of the draft. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for RJ Harvey, fantasy superstar. Harvey could very well wind up in a committee again in 2026. The Broncos have enough cap space to be in play for the bigger name backs.

Achane is mentioned as part of a major section of Alexander’s combine takeaways titled “A push for a running back,” starring Kenneth Walker and also featuring Travis Etienne and Rico Dowdle. But towards the very end, it notes that the Texans did trade for a back after missing out on the free-agent market for Saquon Barkley when they snagged Joe Mixon. We doubt that the Dolphins would part with Achane for something negligible — they’d likely require real draft compensation — but the situation certainly looks to be focused on the long-term there and Achane is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Raanan reports players like Travis Etienne, Jeremiyah Love, and Kenneth Walker are among the players the Giants are reportedly interested in, while adding “there seems to be a clear focus on becoming a more physical run-heavy team.” The Giants saw last year’s rookie, Cam Skattebo, run for 101-410-5 in eight games before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury, but the team is hopeful he’ll be cleared in time for training camp. Still, the talent behind Skattebo is thin, but any big name-addition in the draft or free agency would undoubtedly limit the fantasy upside of both players in 2026. The Giants currently hold the No. 5 overall pick, but are up against a tight cap with just over $3.3 million currently available, per OverTheCap. They’ll have some work to do if they hope to land a big-name back in free agency.

Etienne will become an unrestricted free agent when free agency officially begins. This would be quite the fun pairing. The Chiefs’ offense, featuring RBs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, averaged just 4.2 yards per carry during the regular season, ranking 20th in the NFL. Adding an explosive player like Etienne would be a significant upgrade. Both Hunt and Pacheco are set to become free agents as well.

“The figurative writing was on the wall for Etienne and [Devin] Lloyd in the last month when the Jaguars extended receiver Jakobi Meyers and left tackle Cole Van Lanen to ensure they wouldn’t hit the market,” O’Halloran writes, continuing: “Did the Jaguars choose Meyers/Van Lanen over Etienne/Lloyd? Ultimately, yes.” If Etienne does leave Jacksonville, O’Halloran believes Bhayshul Tuten will be the No. 1 back in 2026 with LeQuint Allen as the “No. 2/third-down back/kick returner.” Etienne isn’t much of a between-the-tackles pounder (see Trevor Lawrence’s red zone rushing role) and is probably a better committee back, but he might have a chance to find his way into a No. 1 role in free agency after a strong 2025 season.

Unlike his team, Etienne got to end a rebound season on a high note with over 100 yards from scrimmage and a score. He finished the regular season with 260 carries for 1,107 yards and seven scores. Etienne also juiced the fantasy numbers with six touchdowns through the air. He was the focal point of first-year head Liam Coen’s ground game and a crucial piece of the passing attack. Etienne is an unrestricted free agent, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Jags make it a point to keep him in town. The 2025 season was Jacksonville’s best by regular season wins since 1999. GM James Gladstone will likely do his best to keep the core players on offense around for years to come. Etienne will slot in as a low-end RB1 for fantasy purposes if he sticks with the Jags.

He added two catches for 16 yards on three targets. All that volume sure looks better when you score, but Etienne played 48-of-69 Jaguars snaps, rarely giving LeQuint Allen (13 snaps) any room to operate as a backup. He wasn’t especially close to scoring, and took just two carries for three yards in the red zone. Etienne will remain on the RB1 line against the Titans in Week 18, a game the Jaguars will definitely want to win to secure the AFC South title.