As the Jacksonville Jaguars begin mandatory minicamp, one focus will be on the backfield, where questions surround starter Travis Etienne.
Rumors swirled about a potential trade after Etienne struggled last season, finishing behind Tank Bigsby in rushing yards, and the Jags drafted two rookie runners, Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen in the seventh. Head coach Liam Coen recently shot down the trade chatter, but that hasn't silenced the notion that Etienne could be bypassed in the backfield or eventually moved.
For his part, Etienne is blocking out the noise.
"I feel like we all know it's a business," Etienne said, via the team's official website. "It's production league, and I feel like if I didn't produce, then it's going to directly impact me. I can't let the outside world, that business aspect, affect my in-game performance because if I don't perform, then I'm not going to be in the business.
"I feel like I just have to control what I can control, go out there and do my job and I'll be in a great position."
After missing his rookie campaign due to an injury, Etienne generated back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. Last year, however, he struggled to break tackles behind a mediocre offensive line, earning a career-low 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The 2021 first-round pick heads into the final year of his rookie contract. With a new coaching staff at the helm, the hope is that Jacksonville finds a rejuvenated Etienne.
"I just continue to trust the process," he said. "We have great coaches in here now, great schemes, great offensive-minded coaches that put us in a position to make plays. I feel like I just have to just continue to create good habits and whenever the game time comes, just lean on those great habits and lean on my coach.
"He's putting me in a great position to go out there and make plays and be an amazing teammate for my team."
We'll see this week during mandatory minicamp how big of a grip Etienne holds on the starting role.
