Saints Should Be All Over Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr.

The New Orleans saints should at least be in the market for a running back this offseason.

That's not a slight at running back Alvin Kamara in any way. The 30-year-old is a nine-year National Football League veteran and played in just 11 games in 2025. Kamara is under contract for one more season in 2026. Behind him, the Saints had Kendre Miller, Devin Neal, and Audric Estime in 2025. Miller's season ended early, which led to the rookie Neal having a bigger role. With Kamara out, Neal became the starter for a bit, but he got hurt too, which led to Estime getting a bigger share across the final two games of the season.

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There's talent in the room, Kamara is a star, Miller was solid, Neal showed some flashes as a rookie, and Estime had 157 total rushing yards, one touchdown, six catches, and 47 receiving yards across the final two games of the season. With the injuries the team experienced in 2025, they should look to the open market to see what is out there. Saints Wire's John Sigler floated an intriguing name: Travis Etienne Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Saints should be looking to add

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) rushes for yards against Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) 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

"Travis Etienne Jr. Etienne, who turns 27 in January, has rushed for 1,000 or more yards in three of his four years in the NFL and brings the exact kind of home-run threat the Saints have missed in the backfield, with 96 runs of 10 or more yards in his career," Sigler wrote. "He had 28 of them alone last season. As a team, the Saints had 34, with just 20 coming from their running backs."

This would be the type of all-in move the Saints should be all over if they really want to try to make a run in 2026. Kamara has shown throughout his career that he can thrive in a two-running back system -- remember him and Mark Ingram II together? Etienne has three seasons with over 1,000 yards under his belt, including 1,107 yards in 2025.

A two-headed attack with Kamara and Etienne plus Neal and Estime behind them arguably would take this offense to another level.

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