Why Travis Etienne Makes Sense for One NFC Foe

It appears that Travis Etienne Jr. will have at least one high-profile suitor in free agency this offseason.

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) during the first half of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images | Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars should have plenty of competition for Travis Etienne Jr.'s services in this upcoming free agency period. He's coming off a tremendous 2025 NFL season, in which he tallied 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground and added another 292 yards and six scores on 36 catches.

There aren't many running backs available that offer his combination of home-run hitting, consistency, and versatility.

The Jaguars will be hard-pressed to replace his production, but they might not be able to afford to bring him back, either. Jacksonville will have to make significant moves to clear up any cap space this offseason, and his play in 2025 might have priced him out of the team's budget.

Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne (1) rushes the ball against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears may be after Travis Etienne Jr.

Taking a look at the market and recent deals for running backs of similar production, Travis Etienne Jr. should command somewhere between $7-13 million in average annual value on his next contract. The Jacksonville Jaguars probably won't be able to free up enough space to justify retaining him at that figure, and they already have Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. — who both had encouraging rookie campaigns — under contract.

After his incredible season, there should be no shortage of teams willing to add ETN this free agency. According to Essentially Sports' Tony Pauline, he'll have at least one caller in the Chicago Bears: "League insiders have long believed the Chicago Bears will be suitors for Etienne if he hits free agency. This is despite having a solid 1-2 punch with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Swift has one year remaining on his deal, though the Bears can opt out, and Monangai is just a second-year player."

Like the Jaguars, the Bears had a ridiculous turnaround in 2025, going from four wins in the season prior to an NFC North title and a Divisional Round appearance. They got there behind one of the best rushing offenses in the league, orchestrated by rookie Head Coach Ben Johnson. Behind Swift and Monangai, Chicago ranked third in rushing yards, third in yards per carry, and ninth in touchdowns.

Etienne has better vision, long speed, and pass-catching ability than Swift does. It'd make sense for Chicago to cut bait with Swift, eat the $1.3 million in dead cap, and try to upgrade an already successful ground game. Adding someone like ETN could be the kind of move that takes the Bears to the next level.

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