The Jacksonville Jaguars backfield belongs to Travis Etienne Jr. now after the team traded away third-year running back James Robinson earlier this week. But Etienne wasn’t exactly jumping for joy to see his friend get sent to the New York Jets.
“I feel like we were really coming on together, really meshing together, really complementing each other’s game,” Etienne told reporters in the locker room Wednesday, via 1010XL. “When you’ve got a guy like that, you picture big things. It didn’t come to fruition, but it’s not to say we’re not going to both be great. We’re just going to be great on our own terms. That’s just the business of it.”
When asked if he was excited about the opportunity to take on the lion’s share of the carries, Etienne said he had mixed feelings.
“That’s a tricky question because I feel like James really hid some of the flaws in my game so early in my career,” Etienne said. “But I feel like it’s on me to grow up really fast. That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to put in that extra work and grow up fast.
“As a competitor, you want to be that guy. Now that’s here and I have my now plate to look at and I don’t have to take off no one else’s plate. That’s why I’m going to put my head down, work, and get really good at the things they pay me to do.”
Part of what made Robinson an expendable player for the Jaguars was Etienne’s recent emergence. He’s topped 100 yards from scrimmage in each of the last three weeks and scored his first career touchdown in Week 7.