As the 2025 season looms, the Jaguars' Travis Etienne Jr. faces a make-or-break year. Can he outshine Tank Bigsby and lead the offense against elite QBs?
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
While the NFL calendar is in its quietest phase, the pressure is quietly mounting in Jacksonville. With no games on the immediate horizon, the focus shifts to the immense challenges that await the Jaguars in 2025. At the center of it all is running back Travis Etienne Jr., who enters a make-or-break season on his fifth-year option, needing to re-establish his dominance after a lackluster 2024 campaign.
The Jaguars' 2025 schedule features matchups against six of the top 11 quarterbacks in the NFL, according to PFF rankings.
After a 2024 season that saw him post just 558 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, Travis Etienne Jr. finds himself in a precarious position. The team's decision to exercise his fifth-year option puts the onus squarely on him to prove he's worth a long-term investment. The pressure is amplified by the emergence of Tank Bigsby, who seized the top running back spot last year with 766 yards and 7 scores. While Trevor Lawrence's 4,016 passing yards show the air attack is potent, re-establishing a formidable ground game is crucial for offensive balance under new Head Coach Liam Coen. Etienne's performance in 2025 will be one of the season's most critical storylines.
The new coaching staff won't have any time to ease into their roles. New defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is tasked with preparing his unit for a murderer's row of opposing quarterbacks. Facing nearly half of the league's top-10 signal-callers means the defense, anchored by tackle-machine Foye Oluokun (111 tackles in 2024), has zero margin for error. The secondary, in particular, will be under the microscope. While coaches are reportedly impressed with Montaric Brown's development in zone coverage, the nickel corner spot remains a heated battle between rookie Jarrian Jones and veteran free-agent signing Jourdan Lewis. Their ability to hold up against elite passing attacks could make or break the team's chances in several key matchups.
This offseason wasn't about one splashy signing but a calculated effort by the new regime to raise the entire roster's floor. The aggressive move to acquire Travis Hunter signaled a new way of thinking, but the focus has been on building quality depth and fostering competition at every position. This philosophy is evident in moves like designating Parker Washington as the primary return man and bringing in veterans to challenge rookies. It's a long-term approach designed to evaluate talent thoroughly and build a sustainable winner, a necessary foundation given the team's -3 turnover ratio last season.
As the quiet summer days tick by, the tension for the 2025 season builds. The Jaguars' success won't be measured by a single game, but by how they answer two critical questions: Can key players like Travis Etienne Jr. rise to the occasion under immense pressure? And can this new coaching staff prove they can scheme with the best in the league? The answers will start to emerge when the pads come on in training camp, but one thing is certain: the Jaguars are facing a defining season.
