Travis Etienne's Jaguars Future Comes Down to 2025

Travis Etienne has plenty riding on 2025. Can he handle the pressure?

Dec 29, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans linebacker Luke Gifford (57) tackles Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr (1) in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Everybody knows a little bit about pressure. Some thrive on it and let it calmly guide them when something needs to be done by a deadline or when times are tumultuous.

That's where the phrase "grace under pressure" comes in. Some people wilt under being in the proverbial "pressure cooker", while others just rock out to it like David Bowie and Queen did in 1981, with their No. 29 collaboration, "Under Pressure". Hey, we wouldn't have "Ice, Ice Baby" without it.

Then there's the brand of pressure that athletes face that dictates their future, and it's going on right now with Jaguars RB Travis Etienne.

On a recent episode of On SI's, "Jacksonville Jaguars Insider Podcast", John Shipley listed his three Jags players with the most pressure on them in 2025. Topping the list was Travis Etienne, and the main reason for inclusion on the list is his fit in the system and his hot-and-cold history in Jacksonville.

"I think one the more obvious ones is RB Travis Etienne. I'm of the belief through the seven or so practices that I saw, that Coen expects a lot out of his running backs. Just seeing how [Jaguars Head Coach] Liam Coen wants to run his offense and what I think he’ll want out of the running backs. I still think Travis has the best argument right now to be their RB1. But I think they have enough guys in there that no one guy has to dominate the load."

There is, indeed, a talented stable of running backs challenging Ettienne for carries. The RB room includes returnee Tank Bigsby and rookies LeQuint Allen from Rutgers and Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten. But Bigsby, the team's leading rusher in 2025 may be best suited to carry out Coen's vision.

"I think Tank Bigsby, especially when they do gap-scheme runs, will be a big part of their offense and the offensive line is better blocking gap scheme than they are at zone schemes which happened last year with Tampa Bay, and Liam Coen said he went into Tampa Bay wanting to run a zone-based run scheme, but the line and running backs just did better with gap schemes. If that’s the case, I coud see Tank Bigsby being taken over Travis Etienne".

Bigsby isn't the only threat to the former first-rounder in 2021. Allen is a third-down option known for both pass blocking and receiving, while Tuten is a breakaway threat every time he touches the ball. There are a lot of options, but Etienne could control his own destiny with a good season.

A big year would either cement Travis' future in Northern Florida or give him an opportunity to try and name his price in free agency. Nonetheless, there's a lot riding on this season for Travis Etienne, and the type of pressure-handler that he is will answer a variety of questions.

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