The Saints’ expensive offseason addition at running back will miss time. Head coach Kellen Moore announced Thursday that New Orleans has placed Travis Etienne on injured reserve.
A significant hamstring injury
Etienne hurt his hamstring in the Week 3 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He pulled up and grabbed at the leg while running out of bounds on a 16-yard carry. Moore had said earlier in the week that Etienne would miss time, and Thursday’s roster move put a number on it. Moore said the injury won’t need surgery but looks serious enough to require at least four weeks of recovery.
That makes Monday night’s game against the Falcons the first of at least four that Etienne will miss.
A rocky start to a big contract
The timing is rough for a player New Orleans invested in heavily. The Saints gave Etienne a four-year, $47 million deal in the offseason, which made him the NFL’s 12th-highest-paid running back. He signed with the Saints in free agency after leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Etienne had been the team’s lead runner, but his production was modest. Through three games, he had 30 carries for 128 yards and was still looking for his first touchdown as a Saint. The hamstring had also been a concern before the Raiders game, as he was listed as limited at practice earlier in the week before being cleared to play.
Who steps in
With Etienne sidelined, the workload shifts to a familiar face. Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson are the other backs on the roster, and Kamara is presumed to sit atop the depth chart. The injury could give him a chance to reclaim his former role in the offense.
New Orleans has also added depth. The team signed Ulysses Bentley IV to the practice squad on Wednesday to restore its running back numbers.
What’s next
Under injured-reserve rules, Etienne must sit out at least four games. His return depends on how the hamstring responds to rehab. The Saints will lean on Kamara and the rest of the backfield in the meantime as they try to steady a season that has started shakily.
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