James "Gotta get them draft picks" Gladstone is at it again. Since the NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars general manager has shown his willingness for sudden, bold moves. And with a loaded running back room filled with young talent, it was only a matter of time before he pulled the trigger and offloaded one of them. The question was always which one.
The offseason was brimming with speculation around fifth-year veteran Travis Etienne Jr. He and Tank Bigsby shared the workload last year, with Bigsby racking up 766 yards on 168 carries. Despite the Jaguars' rough season, he still managed to maintain a solid 4.6 yards per carry. No slouch, indeed.
Not good enough, apparently. Multiple outlets are already reporting that Bigsby is being sent to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2026 fifth and sixth-round draft pick.
Trade: Jaguars are sending RB Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks, per sources. pic.twitter.com/yKn7CIf27j
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2025
And with Bigsby now gone, the team's stance on Bigsby is abundantly clear.
Related: Jaguars get outstanding grade after Week 1 dismantling of the Panthers
Travis Etienne Jr. solidified his place as the Jaguars lead rusher
After struggling behind a lackluster offensive line in 2024, Clemson alum Travis Etienne Jr. reminded fans and analysts alike what he was capable of in a "eek 1 rout of the Carolina Panthers. He proved himself not just reliable in the backfield, but explosive, rushing for 143 yards on 16 carries—including a 71-yarder that might have led to a touchdown had he looked at the Jumbotron (4:00 mark).
That is, so long as he didn't look as hard as Panthers' quarterback Bryce Young.
New head coach Liam Coen hasn't stopped singing Etienne's praises. Back in training camp, he said, "Everything we've asked him to do, he's done at a good clip for us. The ability in the screen game, to hand him jet sweeps...his vision so far in the run game has been good...He can shine in ways, in space." He also tried to dispel the trade rumors: "He's done a great job. I don't really understand some of the stuff I've seen out there. That's absolutely inaccurate."
Despite his remarks, the trade rumors continued, even up until the start of week 1. Maybe now, they can finally be put to rest.
Related:Jaguars just traded a running back to the Eagles (and it wasn't Travis Etienne)
Final thoughts
There's a depth to the Jaguars' running back room, though it's currently filled with untested youth. Despite that, Travis Etienne Jr. proved his mettle with a stellar showing all through training camp and into the regular season.
While I hate to see Bigsby go—and I wish him all the best with the Eagles—this seems like a great way to recoup draft capital after going all in on Travis Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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