Travis Etienne Jr. is set to miss some time. The Saints running back will be sidelined as he recovers from a hamstring injury, according to coach Kellen Moore (via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell).
Moore didn’t elaborate on how long Etienne will be out, and he didn’t provide any indication of whether the RB will require a stint on injured reserve. At the very least, it sounds like the offseason acquisition will need to miss the team’s Week 4 matchup against the Falcons.
Etienne appeared to have suffered his injury during a run in the third quarter. He limped off the field and entered the medical tent before exiting to the locker room. As Terrell points out, the RB was on the injury report throughout the week with a hamstring injury but was a full participant during Friday’s practice.
The Saints inked the former Jaguars first-round pick to a four-year, $52MM deal this offseason. He’s generally underwhelmed through his first three games with his new franchise, collecting 179 yards from scrimmage and zero touchdowns on 41 touches. Through his first two games in a Saints uniform, Etienne appeared in about half of his team’s offensive snaps.
It’s uncertain how the Saints will proceed with their RBs room with Etienne out of the lineup. Alvin Kamara missed Week 1 and garnered more carries than Etienne in his season debut in Week 2. Meanwhile, Kendre Miller had nine touches and a touchdown in the season opener but was suddenly inactive in Week 2.
When Etienne exited yesterday’s game, Kamara and Miller split carries for the rest of the contest, an indication that New Orleans will likely roll with a committee approach while the starter is out. The team is also rostering CJ Donaldson, who ranks second among Saints RBs in snaps despite tallying only five touches this year.