Saints Activate Travis Etienne Jr. From Injured Reserve Ahead of Panthers Game

After missing five games with a hamstring injury, Travis Etienne Jr. is expected to return Sunday as New Orleans makes several roster moves ahead of its NFC South matchup against Carolina.

Sep 27, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne (3) runs on the field prior to the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Running back Travis Etienne Jr. will be activated from injured reserve for the  New Orleans Saints' Sunday game against the  Carolina Panthers, according to  Tom Pelissero of The Ringer.

The 3-5 teams face off for sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Etienne has not played since Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 27, when he suffered a hamstring injury.

Upon returning to practice this week, Etienne fully participated by Friday and was listed as questionable. 

In New Orleans, Etienne is expected to share backfield responsibilities with Audric Estime and Alvin Kamara. Estime posted a team season-high 72 rushing yards last week against the Cleveland Browns, while Kamara has recorded 157 yards with a 3.3-yard average through seven games.

The Saints rank 26th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 95.3 yards per game and 3.8 yards per attempt under head coach Kellen Moore. They will test a Panthers run defense that ranks 28th, allowing 133.4 yards per game and 4.6 yards per rush. In his three games this season before the injury, Etienne rushed for 128 yards (4.3 per carry), including 57 yards against Las Vegas, and added 11 receptions for 51 yards.

The 27-year-old running back joined New Orleans during free agency on a three-year contract after four seasons with the  Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Etienne topped 1,000 rushing yards in three of his four years with Jacksonville. A Louisiana native out of Jennings High School, he played at Clemson, earning All-America honors three times and twice winning ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

In Other News Regarding Roster Moves…

In additional roster adjustments, New Orleans placed defensive lineman Christen Miller on Injured Reserve. The team also promoted tackle Easton Kilty from the practice squad to the active roster and elevated kicker Charlie Smyth for Sunday's matchup with the Carolina Panthers.

Smyth stepped into the starting role following the release of Daniel Carlson and capitalized on the opportunity. The Irish kicker provided all nine of the Saints' points through three quarters in a low-scoring battle against Cleveland, going 3-for-4 on field goals with conversions from 30, 27, and 48 yards.

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