Jaguars running back Travis Etienne cleared for practice activity

The Jacksonville Jaguars began organized team activities (OTAs) on Monday, and received some good news prior to the workout. Running back Travis Etienne has been cleared for all practice activities according to head coach Doug Pederson, as 1010 XL’s Mia O’Brien noted this morning.

Last August, Etienne suffered a Lisfranc (foot) injury during the 2021 preseason in an exhibition contest against the New Orleans Saints. The injury caused Etienne to miss his entire rookie season.

Jacksonville selected Etienne out of Clemson with its second pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Etienne followed the selection of his college teammate, Trevor Lawrence, with the No. 1 overall pick that year.

The hope was to pair Etienne with fellow running back James Robinson (who also recovering from a significant injury entering the 2022 season) to give the Jaguars a dynamic duo in the backfield. Etienne also has a lot of ability as a pass-catcher and could be used in many different ways when healthy.

During the OTA workout on Monday, O’Brien noted that Etienne was moving smoothly.

In April, Etienne noted that his recovery was going well and he was about “85-90 percent.” Now, while the team still is monitoring him in late May, the hope is Etienne is as close to 100 percent as possible and he will be able to participate in the remainder of Jacksonville’s offseason program.