TRAVIS ETIENNE
- A four-year, $52 million investment into a running back is no joke, and Etienne will immediately assume lead back duties for New Orleans. Alvin Kamara‘s future in New Orleans is muddy, with ESPN’s Katherine Terrell writing the following: “He’ll turn 31 on July 25 and has finished the past two seasons unable to play because of injuries. That makes his long-term future uncertain, with the team possibly looking to get younger and spend less at this position.” It sounds like Kamara could be on his way out, which would free up Etienne as a workhorse for his hometown team. Kendre Miller has proven unreliable thus far in his pro career, and while Devin Neal tried admirably after Kamara went down last year, he’s still a Day 3 pick who averaged 3.6 yards per carry as a rookie. If Kamara is gone, Etienne has practically no competition for touches on his new team.
- Tyler Shough played better than expected down the stretch, nearly pulling off a comeback for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award despite starting only 10 games. His 2026 performance is critical to Etienne’s upside; if Shough can lead an efficient offense in Year 2, Etienne has a top-12 ceiling in his new home. It helps that Kellen Moore is calling the shots: Moore has consistently engineered fast offenses, and the Saints led the league in seconds per snap in 2025.
- Etienne is the no-doubt RB1 in New Orleans right away. The next question we have to answer is what happens with Kamara. If he’s gone and the Saints don’t add anyone significant in the draft, Etienne will be a workhorse in 2026. If Kamara sticks around in a reduced role, stealing pass downs — a role Etienne ceded to LeQuint Allen Jr. last year — it dims the excitement somewhat.
OTHER SAINTS RUNNING BACKS
- As mentioned above, Kamara’s status is one to watch. The Saints redid his deal this offseason in a manner that opens the door for his exit if they want to go in that direction. Kamara won’t be super fantasy-relevant regardless as a pure pass-down option if he stays with the Saints, and he’s a nearly impossible click in the meantime with retirement presumably on the table.
- This is a death blow to Kendre Miller and Devin Neal‘s value. They’ll duke it out for RB3 duties (or RB2 if Kamara leaves), and it’s possible New Orleans adds another low-end RB to the fold in free agency or the draft to further jeopardize their role.
BHAYSHUL TUTEN
- Tuten’s price tag leading up to the NFL Draft will be fascinating. The 2025 fourth-round pick is now the RB1 on Jacksonville’s depth chart, but he was also clearly behind Etienne all of last season despite showing flashes. LeQuint Allen Jr. also dominated passing downs for the Jaguars last season and remains on the roster, plus Tuten averaged just 3.7 yards per carry as a rookie and was rated as a below-average running back, per PFF’s grading. With that in mind, it seems likely the Jaguars will add a running back this offseason.
- If Tuten somehow survives the rest of free agency and the draft, he has an incredible outlook. The Jaguars’ offense caught fire over the second half of last season with Trevor Lawrence playing at a career-best level under the tutelage of Liam Coen, and Lawrence will once again have a bevy of pass-catching talent at his disposal. Being the RB1 in Jacksonville is a super valuable role, and it’s easy to tell a story on how Tuten succeeds as a result. Still, it seems difficult to believe the Jaguars go into the 2026 season with Tuten as their undisputed RB1.
