Who Should I Start? Jamaal Williams or Travis Etienne

Tuesday, March 4, 5:13 PM

The New Orleans Saints released running back Jamaal Williams on Tuesday, according to The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. The move comes after Williams' worst season as a pro in 2024 in his second year with the Saints. The 29-year-old was rarely used behind starter Alvin Kamara and finished with a career-low 48 rushing attempts for 164 yards and one touchdown while adding only nine receptions for 57 yards on 11 targets in 14 games (one start). Williams had a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022 in his final year with the Detroit Lions but averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, 470 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his 27 games (five starts) in two seasons with the Saints. He's unlikely to garner a ton of interest on the open market in free agency this offseason and will almost certainly have to settle for a depth role at RB wherever he signs.

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.