The Jaguars will be without one of their two first-round rookies this season after running back Travis Etienne Jr. suffered a "serious Lisfranc injury" in Monday's preseason game against the Saints.
Etienne was placed on injured reserve with the left foot injury on Tuesday, meaning he is ineligible to play this season. There was initially some hope he could return within 12 weeks after undergoing surgery, but that hope was shot down when he was officially moved to IR. He will now undergo surgery and rehab in hopes of a return in 2022.
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Jacksonville selected the former Clemson running back 25th overall in April's draft, pairing him with his college teammate and No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. Etienne had a quiet preseason before suffering the injury, with just two carries for three yards and one reception for three yards. He played just 16 snaps in two preseason games.
Etienne's injury will have a significant impact on the season -- both for the Jaguars and fantasy football players.
James Robinson was a breakout rookie last season in Jacksonville. Undrafted out of Illinois State, Robinson had 1,070 rushing yards, 49 receptions, 344 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns for the lowly Jaguars. He could become a high-volume weapon with Lawrence now under center and Etienne out of the picture.
Veteran Carlos Hyde is next on the Jaguars' depth chart behind Robinson. The nine-year veteran Hyde has played for the San Francisco 49ers (2014-17), Cleveland Browns (2018), Jaguars (2018), Houston Texans (2019) and Seattle Seahawks (2020) before rejoining Jacksonville this offseason. He rushed for over 900 yards three times in his career, most recently in 2019 when he had a career-high 1,070 rushing yards. Perhaps more importantly, Hyde played for new Jaguars coach Urban Meyer at Ohio State University from 2012 to 2013.
NFL
The Jaguars will play the Dallas Cowboys in their final preseason game on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 1 p.m. ET. That game has suddenly heightened in importance for the Jaguars -- and fantasy football managers.