Jaguar Report

Trevor Lawrence Bids Farewell to Travis Etienne

The duo has been teammates for the last eight years, but that will now end.
Dec 17, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;  Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Dec 17, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In this story:


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- One of the NFL's top duos has, officially, cesed to exist.

After eight years as teammates with the Clemson Tigers and then with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne are about to play on different teams for the first time since high school. On Monday, Etienne agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the New Orleans Saints to depart the Jaguars' roster.

Duo says goodbye

In the wake of Etienne signing his first-ever free agent deal with the Saints, the former teammates made sure to give each other a proper sendoff after one of their best years

Etienne had been the Jaguars' No. 1 running back for the vast majority of Lawrence's career. Each was a first-round pick by the Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft, though Etienne would sustain a foot injury during the preseason and miss his entire rookie year as a result.

Etienne then returned in 2022 and had a standout year for the improved Jaguars, recording over 1,000 rushing yards despite not becoming the clear starter until the Jaguars traded veteran running back James Robinson to the New York Jets. Etienne had another 1,000-yard season in 2023, and then had a third season across the century mark in 2025.

trevor lawrence etienne
Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands the ball off to Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Etienne had one of the best seasons of his career in 2025, with the former Clemson star becoming the perfect fit for new head coach Liam Coen and his offense. The run game led the Jaguars' offense during the first half of the year, and then Etienne became one of the most dangerous receiving running backs in the NFL during the second half of the season.

"That's a great start. That's my guy. I been with him eight years. So I'm, I'm hoping we get Travis back. I mean, he's a great player. I'm hoping we get him back. So that's a great starting point," Lawrence said during Super Bowl week.

trevor lawrence etienne
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne (1) during a Monday Night NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug EngleFlorida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I think you look at our team, we have some guys that are free agents, so you gotta figure out who's gonna come back, who's gonna be a part of it. I think obviously, the year we had and what we were set up to do fell short in the wild card. But we feel really good about our team and how we matched up. I don't feel like we ever stepped on the field and we're like, 'man, this team's better than us.' Didn't ever feel that way. So you want to try to get as many guys as possible back, but it's not always realistic."

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations


Published
John Shipley
JOHN SHIPLEY

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.

Share on XFollow _john_shipley