Bleacher Report Identifies NFC North as Landing Spot for Former Clemson Star

As the NFL Playoffs draw closer by the day and the final week of the regular season dawns upon us, it's finally time to start looking over the upcoming 2026 free agents.

This past Tuesday, Bleacher Report journalist Alex Kay released his own list of ideal landing spots for seven of the top soon-to-be free agent running backs ahead of the offseason, with one former Clemson Tiger making the list.

To nobody's surprise, that Tiger is all-time rushing leader Travis Etienne of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And while Etienne's inclusion comes as little shock, the circumstances surrounding his resurgence this season make the pairing especially intriguing.

"A coaching change for the Jacksonville Jaguars breathed new life into Etienne this season," Kay began. "Prior to Liam Coen's arrival, the 2021 first-round pick was struggling to rekindle the impressive efficiency he displayed early in his career and appeared to be closer to on his way out of the league than being a key contributor on a playoff contender."

Following being sidelined for his entire rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, Etienne burst on the scene in 2022, carrying the ball 220 times for 1,125 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and five touchdowns while also emerging as a threat in the passing game, hauling in 35 receptions for 316 receiving yards.

Rather than a true decline, Etienne's 2023 campaign was more nuanced. While his rushing efficiency dipped to 3.8 yards per carry, he remained one of Jacksonville's most important offensive pieces, finishing eighth in Offensive Player of the Year voting and setting career highs through the air of 58 receptions for 476 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Still, the downward trend in efficiency raised questions about sustainability.

Those concerns materialized in 2024, which marked the lowest point of Etienne's career. Limited to just 150 carries, he posted career lows across the board with 558 rushing yards while averaging only 3.7 yards per carry.

That context framed Etienne's outlook entering 2025, when any uncertainty surrounding his place in the Jaguars' offense quickly faded as his workload stabilized and his explosiveness returned, accounting for over 1,300 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns ahead of the final week of the season.

"Etienne proved that his miserable 2024 stat line was a fluke, bouncing back to post his third 1,000-yard rushing season in four years," Kay continued. "While his 4.4 yards per carry average isn't as strong as the 5.1 yards he averaged in 2022, it's a major improvement over the 3.8 and 3.7 yards per carry he posted in 2023-24, respectively."

"Etienne regained his scoring touch in 2025, posting a career-high 13 touchdowns with one game left to find more paydirt."

"Given his contributions in all areas of the offense—he's racked up 286 yards and six of his scores on 35 catches this year—and proven ability to lead a backfield, Etienne should be a desirable free-agent candidate this offseason."

With running back contracts continuing to flatten across the league, teams searching for production without paying top-of-market prices may view Etienne as a desirable option.

"While he likely won't command as much as Breece Hall, his affordability could lead to him landing with another up-and-coming contender led by a first-time head coach in the Chicago Bears," Kay wrote.

Chicago's offensive trajectory makes the potential landing spot especially compelling, as the Bears have leaned heavily on the run in 2025, ranking as the No. 3 rushing offense in the league ahead of Week 18.

However, while Etienne's profile makes him an intriguing potential upgrade for a rising Chicago team, any pursuit would require the Bears first to navigate their current backfield, as starter D'Andre Swift still has one year remaining on his contract and has been a significant piece to Chicago's offensive success this season.

Swift is one of only 16 running backs (as of Week 17) in the league to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in 2025, doing so while averaging nearly five yards per carry, production that makes an outright move away from him far from automatic.

Although cutting or trading Swift could create notable cap savings, the Bears would have to weigh that flexibility against the value he has already provided.

Complicating matters further is the emergence of rookie Kyle Monangai, who has established himself as one of the league's best first-year running backs after carrying the ball 163 times for 769 yards and five touchdowns.

With both Swift and Monangai in the fold, Chicago's decision at running back may hinge on contract structure and long-term roster construction, as it does Etienne's availability.