Running back Travis Etienne Jr. agreed to a four-year deal with the New Orleans Saints worth up to $52 million, league sources said Monday.

The 27-year-old running back, about to enter his fifth season, was ranked No. 9 among The Athletic’s top 150 free agents and was the second-ranked running back, behind Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted the former consensus AP All-American from Clemson at No. 25 in 2021, but Etienne did not play that season after suffering a Lisfranc injury in his left foot during a preseason game. In the four seasons since, he has rushed for at least 1,000 yards three times and has played in at least 15 games each year.

In 2025, when the Jaguars went 13-4 and won the AFC South, he rushed for 1,107 yards on 260 carries in 17 games, with seven touchdowns.

Etienne is a dual-threat back, having caught 168 passes for 1,338 yards and seven touchdowns in the past four seasons. He ranks eighth among running backs in receiving yards during that span.

How he fits

The Saints were encouraged by what they saw from quarterback Tyler Shough as a rookie last year. One of the main things that can help a young quarterback is a solid running game. Alvin Kamara has been beloved in New Orleans, spending all nine of his NFL seasons with the Saints. Kamara, however, set career lows across the board in 11 games in 2025 — in rushing yards, yards per game, yards per attempt, touchdowns and receptions. Etienne adds some juice to the equation. He played a major role in Jacksonville’s turnaround in 2025 and was a consistent pillar of the offense for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, even as injuries and underperformance plagued the Jaguars at wide receiver and tight end. Etienne has proven to be an effective runner and has the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, too. He may not be at the level of prime Kamara, but that player no longer exists in New Orleans.

2026 roster impact

Signing Etienne could spell the end for Kamara. The Saints restructured Kamara’s contract earlier this offseason, but it wasn’t the typical restructure that indicates the team wants to keep the player on the roster. Instead, it gave the Saints an avenue to get out of Kamara’s contract, if they choose to do so. Currently, Etienne would slot in as the starter and Kamara as the backup, with Kendre Miller and Devin Neal filling out the depth at the position. However, it would not be surprising if Kamara was removed from the equation before the season.

Cap update

The Saints are still working their way out of the cap hell that followed the Sean Payton years but things are starting to improve. It helps having Shough on a second-round pick’s rookie deal. The Saints are also gaining cap space by allowing some of the older players on defense walk in free agency. They’re still a year or two from having the books in order but running back isn’t a position that requires a major cap investment like it once did.

Saad Yousuf’s takeaway

Etienne is a Louisiana native who now gets to return to his home state. Etienne has been sneaky good the past few years, even if he didn’t get much attention in Jacksonville, where the spotlight has shined brightest on Lawrence. Etienne was a top-12 back in the NFL last season in scrimmage yards and rushing yards. Aside from his freshman year at Clemson, Etienne has played every season since high school with Lawrence as his quarterback. Lawrence is supremely talented in ways that Shough is not, and that could require the Saints to unlock more of Eteinne’s skill set. It’s worth noting that when Saquon Barkley had his record-setting season in 2024 with the Philadelphia Eagles, Kellen Moore was the offensive coordinator, so the Saints’ head coach knows how to get the most out of his running back.