Things are going from bad to worse for former Clemson star Travis Etienne as the Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Tuesday that the rookie running back would miss the entire 2021 season due to a serious Lisfranc injury.
On Monday night, Etienne suffered a foot injury during the Jaguars' preseason game against the New Orleans Saints. It was initially thought that Etienne could potentially return late this season if he has surgery on his injured foot, but the Jaguars decided to shut him down completely, placing him instead on the injured reserve list, which means he will not be allowed to play for Jacksonville this year.
Etienne struggled to find role in Jaguars' offense
The Jaguars had high hopes for Etienne after selecting him as the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Etienne, who won the ACC Player of the Year twice in Clemson, led the Tigers to four ACC titles and a national championship in 2018.
He finished his collegiate career as the record holder in NCAA FBS for most career games with a touchdown, scoring in 46 out of the 55 games he played with the Tigers. He was a prolific, dual-threat weapon for Clemson, rushing for 4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns in his four-year stint with the Tigers.
Etienne failed to hit the ground running, however, for the Jaguars during the preseason. He only played 16 offensive snaps in Jacksonville's first two preseason games, with the Jaguars coaching staff having trouble finding Etienne's exact role in the team.
They wouldn't find it out now after Etienne's unfortunate injury. He suffered the foot problem during the second quarter of the game against the Saints. Etienne exited the game after catching one pass for three yards and rushing once for one yard.
After the game, head coach Urban Meyer told reporters that Etienne suffered a sprain but did not know the extent of the injury of the running back. The Jaguars administered more tests on Etienne's foot, eventually determining that it was a Lisfranc injury.
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Etienne injury latest blow to Jacksonville's sputtering offense
The Lisfranc injury is an ailment that is traditionally tricky to return quickly from, making the Jaguars' decision to put Etienne on the injured reserve and rule him out entirely this coming season understandable.
Etienne's injury is another blow to a Jaguars team that has struggled mightily with its offense this preseason. They have averaged just 2.6 yards per rush and 9.8 yards per reception during their two preseason outings.
Trevor Lawrence has failed to light it up like the other top rookie quarterbacks in the 2021 Draft, as he has yet to lead the Jaguars into the end zone for a touchdown in both of their preseason games.
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