Saints' Etienne is still popular with ex-Jags teammates, touts Tuten's potential with Jacksonville

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — New Orleans running back Travis Etienne Jr. and Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence greeted one another warmly near the middle of a practice field at Saints headquarters, catching up and posing for photos after their teams finished a joint practice on Thursday. From 2018 until this year, they'd known each other only as teammates — first at Clemson and then with the Jaguars, who drafted both in 2021. That changed in March, when the Saints lured Etienne back to his native Louisiana with a four-year contract worth up to $52 million. Still, Etienne was in high demand by former Jaguars teammates, coaches and other staff who looked eager to say hello and wish him well. “It was great to see him after practice,” Jaguars second-year coach Liam Coen said. “We’ll never be able to replace what he was able to do for us, whether it was last year or what he’s done in Jacksonville throughout the course of his career." For Etienne “to come back home and to play for an organization which he, I know, followed as a kid and to be able to provide and to get a contract like that, I mean, he should be extremely proud of himself,” Coen said. “I am of him — and the relationship that he had with a lot of guys on our team.” Etienne surpassed the 1,000-yard mark as a rusher in three of the past four seasons. In 2025, he rushed for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns, and also had 292 yards receiving and six TD catches. Bhayshul Tuten — who is among the leading candidates to become Jacksonville's No. 1 running back this season — said Etienne will bring more than production on the field to the Saints. Etienne was adept at helping younger Jaguars teammates understand the play book and at demonstrating how to take a professional approach to football, said Tuten, a 2025 fourth-round draft choice out of Virginia Tech. “He was always in the treatment room. He was always getting something done. If he wasn’t hurt, if he wasn’t nicked up, he’d still be in there just doing the preventative things,” Tuten said. “He’s a great guy and I’m definitely grateful I met him." Tuten said he and Etienne bonded over their enjoyment of high-performance cars. They drive similar makes and models (M series BMWs) and enjoy customizing them with accessories. Tuten credits time spent with Etienne on and off the field with preparing him to take on a larger role in Jacksonville's backfield. “Being with him for a year, and then one of your good pals goes off and now he’s in New Orleans, it's sad to see,” Tuten said. “But I know he got what he deserved and he’s happy. “Now my role increases more, which I’m excited for,” Tuten added. "So it’s a little sour, but a little sweet at the same time.” Etienne beamed when he spoke about being able to catch up with the Jaguars. “It’s very gratifying,” Etienne said. “When you’re somewhere at a place for five years and you put your heart and soul into a place, man, that’s how it’s supposed to be.” Etienne also projected success for Tuten, saying he was proud “to see the growth that he's continued to showcase.” “Even when he was a rookie, he was kind of beyond his years in the way that he prepared and the way he attacked the game,” Etienne said. "He always was a sponge; he always was learning. “He has that work ethic within him to get him to that next level,” Etienne added. “That’s what’s going to make him great.” ___ See AP’s full NFL coverage here