Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne or Javonte Williams

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.

Tuesday, February 25, 8:32 PM

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton said at the NFL Combine on Tuesday that the team could re-sign impending free-agent running back Javonte Williams this offseason. "There's a chance we bring Javonte back. I think he's one of the best pass protectors in the league," Paton said. It was previously reported this offseason that Denver was unlikely to bring Williams back in 2025 after another disappointing season in which he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry for 513 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 139 rushing attempts in 17 regular-season games (11 starts). He just hasn't displayed the same burst and tackle-breaking abilities since tearing his ACL early in the 2022 season, and he lost the lead-back role for the Broncos early in 2024. The only good news for Williams last year was that he had a career-best 52 catches for 346 yards through the air. His fantasy stock has fallen, but depending on his situation in 2025, he could be a bounce-back candidate.