Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne or Xavier Legette

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, 10:25 PM

The Charlotte Observer's Xavier Legette (foot) avoided wrist surgery but did have foot surgery this offseason, according to general manager Dan Morgan. Legette played through a foot injury in his first year in the NFL in 2024, which likely played a part in his disappointing showing. After the Panthers selected him 32nd overall out of South Carolina, the 24-year-old struggled to get on the same page with second-year quarterback and caught only 49 of his 84 targets for 497 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (13 starts). Legette may be forced to miss organized team activities this spring, but he should be fully recovered from his foot surgery in time for the start of training camp this summer. He'll be looking to make a jump in Year 2 in Carolina, but the likely return of veteran Adam Thielen (he was contemplating retirement) could make things more difficult for the former first-rounder.