Feb. 25, 2026, 9:27 p.m. ET
The latest news out of the free agent running back market could very well impact the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Travis Etienne.
At the NFL combine on Tuesday, New York Jets’ GM Darren Mougey told reporters that if the team cannot reach a new deal with free agent running back Breece Hall, they will utilize the franchise tag to prevent him from hitting the open market.
If the Jets and Hall can’t agree to a new contract and the franchise tag is utilized, then that becomes one less running back available in free agency. Hall is also considered one of the best free agent backs this year, ranked second among his position group by PFF.
For Etienne, if Hall is not available for other teams to pursue, then his market is likely to grow. Etienne is right behind Hall in PFF’s rankings and could be viewed as the second-best running back in free agency this offseason.
In this scenario, more teams could be in on Etienne, and his value may increase, which could make retaining him all the more difficult if that is something that the Jaguars are looking to do.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
The running back market has already shrunk a little bit with the Cowboys re-signing Javonte Williams.
As of now, PFF is projecting that Etienne earns $11.5 million per year on his next contract.
Etienne was a big part of the Jaguars’ offense last season, but he certainly could end up elsewhere this offseason, earning more in free agency with a new team.
Jacksonville currently faces a tight salary cap situation, and James Gladstone did plan ahead for this upcoming free agency period, when he used two draft picks last April to select Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, both of whom shared the RB2 role behind Etienne as rookies