Are Etienne & Bigsby RB Duo for the Future?

The Jacksonville Jaguar's season on the running game has not gone well compared to other NFL teams. Are Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby the duo to get the job done?

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) rushes for yards during the second quarter Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of young players on their squad for the future, and as this season was primed to be a big year for Jacksonville, the year took a turn quickly. Now that the Jaguars have been eliminated from playoff contention, does the team need to look to change their running back situation?

The Jaguars have two young running backs, Travis Etienne Jr and Tank Bigsby, who have both been solid for the Jaguars. Etienne leads the Jaguars in rushing yards on the season, but Bigsby is right behind him. While the numbers do not jump off the page with these two, the talent is there and they could pose issues for defenses in the future.

Etienne has more experience than Bigsby, as he is a first-round 2021 draft pick by Jacksonville. In his first two seasons with the Jaguars, Etienne totaled 487 carries and 2,133 rushing yards, averaging 1,066 rushing yards in each of the first two seasons.

Since Jacksonville does not have a lot of star power on its team at the moment, a casual NFL fan may not realize the value that Etienne brings to the Jaguars. A speed threat who is crafty on his feet, he has been a consistent part of this Jaguars offense and isn't a player to brush off your shoulder.

Etienne has dealt with some injuries this season, limiting to competing in just 13 games with two games remaining. When Etienne wasn't there, Bigsby was.

Bigsby was a third-round draft pick in 2023 for Jacksonville and has added much-needed help at the running back position. In his first season, Bigsby rushed for 132 yards in 50 carries, while playing in all 17 games. His increase this season has been massive for keeping the Jaguars in close games this season.

Bigsby's successful sophomore season has given Jaguar fans something to cheer for, especially when dealing with the type of season that is happening over in Jacksonville.

The one-two punch of Etienne and Bigsby for Jacksonville may be an underrated duo going into next season for the Jaguars. But that does not mean that the Jaguars shouldn't be active in free agency, especially if they can find a well-established running back option to help the younger players improve.

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