The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost one of their 2021 first-round picks for the entire season. During their preseason matchup against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, rookie running back Travis Etienne suffered a serious Lisfranc injury that will end his season before it could begin, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. It was originally thought Etienne could have surgery and potentially return late in the season, but the Jaguars placed him on injured reserve on Tuesday, which means he will not be allowed to return this year.
Etienne rushed once for one yard and caught one pass for three yards before exiting the game in the second quarter Monday due to his injury. The rookie out of Clemson didn’t get many opportunities to flash his playmaking ability in the Jaguars’ first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns either, as he rushed just once for two yards and was targeted once in the passing game.
After selecting his college quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jacksonville selected Etienne with the No. 25 overall pick. The two-time ACC Player of the Year was a dynamic, dual-threat weapon during his time in Clemson, and helped the Tigers win four ACC titles and a national title in 2018. According to Clemson’s official website, Etienne is the NCAA FBS record holder for most career games scoring a touchdown — 46 of his 55 career games. In all, he rushed for 4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns in four seasons.
With Etienne out for the year, first-year head coach Urban Meyer will rely on James Robinson, Carlos Hyde and Dare Ogunbowale in the run game. This unfortunate news does provide a huge boost for Robinson’s fantasy value this season. Robinson had an impressive rookie campaign last year.
The Urban Meyer/Trevor Lawrence era has arrived! Download the CBS Sports app and get the latest news, insights, and surprising predictions from our team of experts. Favorite the Jaguars now if you already have the app so you don’t miss a thing from one of 2021’s most interesting teams.
