Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or Travis Etienne

Sunday, March 9, 6:38 PM

The Minnesota Vikings are re-signing running back Aaron Jones, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Jones' new agreement is a two-year $20 million deal, including $13 million guaranteed. The UTEP product is fresh off his first season with the team, in which he set career-highs in touches (306), carries (255), and rushing yards (1,138) -- totaling seven touchdowns. It was just the third time he'd participated in a full slate of games in his career. The move makes sense for the Vikes, as the 30-year-old was still productive despite dealing with rib, hip, and quad injuries during the 2024 season. It will be interesting to see who the team's signal-caller will be, as J.J. McCarthy (knee) is slated to begin practicing in the spring, though to what extent is unknown. Still, Minnesota has their lead back locked up, and he'll likely be among the first 15-20 backs taken off the board in fantasy drafts this summer.

Monday, January 6, 11:55 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. struggled to find much space in a 26-23 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He finished with 13 carries for 31 yards as well as three catches for 29 yards. The 25-year-old back out of Clemson had the worst season of his young career, struggling to find efficient yardage in a lackluster offense. While it still seems Etienne Jr. is much better in the passing game than backup Tank Bigsby, Bigsby seemed to take over as the lead rusher and goal-line back. Maybe with a healthy offense and improved roster next season, Etienne Jr. can get back on track, but he will likely still have Bigsby nipping at his heels. Expect Etienne Jr. to remain involved, but not as a workhorse back in the 2025 NFL season.