Who Should I Start? Damien Harris or Travis Etienne

Monday, March 25, 9:07 PM

Former New England Patriots running back Damien Harris announced his retirement from professional football on Monday at age 27. The Patriots selected Harris in the third round (87th overall) in the 2019 NFL draft out of Alabama, and he had 449 rushing attempts for 2,094 yards and 20 touchdowns in his four years in New England in 38 regular-season games (34 starts) while adding 40 receptions on 51 targets for an additional 281 receiving yards. Harris spent the 2023 campaign with the Buffalo Bills but played in only six games before suffering a season-ending concussion/neck injury that saw him be taken off the field in an ambulance. He'll end his NFL career after just five seasons, recording 2,188 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 427 carries with the Pats and Bills.

Monday, December 16, 3:45 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. took hold of the lead-back role in Week 15 against the New York Jets. He finished with 85 total yards on 18 touches which consisted of 65 yards on 14 carries and four catches for 20 yards. The 25-year-old back has been mostly overshadowed by fellow back Tank Bigsby, but in this week's matchup with the Jets, he out-touched Bigsby 18 to 11. While it isn't surprising Etienne Jr. was more involved in the passing game, it is surprising he out-carried Bigsby given recent games. That might be because Etienne Jr. has become more efficient at running the ball. In Week 15, Etienne averaged 4.6 yards per carry, while Bigsby averaged 3.8. Etienne Jr. will look to continue separating himself from Bigsby in Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders.