Saints' Splashy Travis Etienne Signing Turns Heads

The New Orleans Saints running back has gotten some positive buzz already.

Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs during the first half against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints entered the offseason needing some more firepower in the running back room. They found exactly what they needed by signing 27-year-old running back Travis Etienne Jr.

Etienne, coming off a 1,107-yard season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, either will form a scary duo with Alvin Kamara or take the mantle from the longtime Saints superstar. Either way, the Saints' running back room got significantly better this offseason. This is a move that has gotten attention around the league as well. So much so that NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha ranked it as the eighth-best move of the offseason so far.

"No. 8) New Orleans Saints sign RB Travis Etienne. The best way to make life easier for second-year quarterback Tyler Shough is to give him what New Orleans lacked last season: a viable running game. After the Saints ranked 28th in rushing yards, a new back was bound to arrive this offseason, one way or another, and Etienne makes sense on a lot of levels. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in three of his four NFL seasons in Jacksonville.

The Saints made one of the best moves of the offseason so far

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) rushes for yards during the first 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

"He set a career high in total touchdowns in 2025, with 13 (seven on the ground, six through the air), and he's always been a reliable weapon in the passing game (168 career receptions). Now think about how Saints head coach Kellen Moore deployed running back Saquon Barkley when Moore was the Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2024, guiding Barkley to 2,283 yards from scrimmage, the 14th-most in a season in NFL history. Nobody here is predicting Etienne will smash records, but it's fair to expect him to log a slightly heavier workload than what he received in Jacksonville. The success of their young signal-caller depends on it."

The Saints had a hole and found the solution right away when free agency opened up. Etienne is a local boy with 3,798 rushing yards over the last four seasons. That production will play in New Orleans.