Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Tank Bigsby

Thursday, May 8, 8:25 AM

The Jacksonville Jaguars' new regime of coaches and executives is "not so high" on running back Travis Etienne Jr., according to league executives who have spoken with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. As a result, Fowler notes that rookie Bhayshul Tuten could carve out a role and make an impact right away. The Etienne era in Jacksonville has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. He dominated over his first two seasons, combining for 2,925 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns. He even finished eighth in Offensive Player of the Year voting in 2023. However, last season, after Tank Bigsby joined the backfield, Etienne's usage dwindled. He still started all 15 games he played, but he was often out-snapped and out-produced by Bigsby. Etienne finished his age-25 campaign with just 558 rushing yards, 254 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, all of which were career lows. He was already trending down ahead of this offseason, and the Jaguars' decision to bring in new faces (such as general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen) could spell disaster for the former first-round pick.

Monday, January 6, 11:39 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby struggled with efficiency, but did find the end zone in a 26-23 overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bigsby finished with 14 carries for 39 yards and a one yard touchdown. He also caught a pass for three yards. Bigsby had similar production to what he has had many times this season. In an overall lackluster offense, he struggled for yardage and wasn't involved in the passing game but found the end zone, all while splitting touches with Travis Etienne Jr. The young back had a much improved second season, but still is fighting an uphill battle to become a full-time starter. He's been better than Etienne Jr. this season, but this week and in the past few weeks, has struggled to separate himself. Bigsby will look to seize a more consistent starting role and earn more volume in the 2025 NFL season.