Saints Make Splash, Land Travis Etienne on $52 Million Deal

The New Orleans Saints found their long-term answer at running back.

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs with the ball against Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (7) during the first half in an AFC Wild Card Round game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints have reportedly found a long-term successor for the running back room.

Rumors had been swirling for weeks that New Orleans could utilize free agency to bolster the running back room and it sounds like that will be the reality. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Saints are signing star running back Travis Etienne Jr.

"Source: Former Jaguars RB Travis Etienne will be signing with the New Orleans Saints. He’s from Louisiana and it was important for him to be near home," Schefter rote.

Schefter reported that the deal is worth $52 million across four years.

The Saints landed a star

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) fakes the hands off to running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Saints are giving Travis Etienne a 4-year, $52M deal, per source," Schefter wrote.

This is a big get for the Saints. Etienne is a four-year veteran and has two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt already. In comparison, Alvin Kamara, who is a franchise cornerstone, has not eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in his career to this point. Etienne is coming off a season in which he logged 1,107 rushing yards for the Jacksonville Jaguars and had 13 total touchdowns.

With Etienne now in the mix, it brings up questions about Kamara's future with the franchise. He is under contract for one more season. In a perfect world, the Saints keep the duo together and create one of the more explosive running back rooms in the league. This will certainly be a situation to monitor.

Regardless, the Saints are bringing a budding superstar to town who can carry the load in the running game and is a capable pass-catcher. With a young quarterback under center in Tyler Shough, it doesn't hurt to have even more weapons for the offense now. Plus, Etienne is from the area. He's from Jennings, Louisiana. So, a local boy is coming back to town to help solve the long-term question for the franchise at running back.

The Saints certainly are making a good move with the 27-year-old. There's still more work to do, but there's no denying the fact that the offense is already better than it was before free agency opened up.