The New Orleans Saints gave Travis Etienne a four-year contract in free agency in the offseason to sign him away from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It hasn’t been the best start to Etienne’s tenure in the Big Easy, though.
Etienne was recently placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury that he suffered in Week 3.
The first game the Saints will be without their standout RB will be Monday Night Football in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Saints have some interesting running back depth, but they likely didn’t plan on having to rely on it this much this early in the season.
How Long is Travis Etienne Out?
Etienne has to be out for at least four games. That’s what his placement on IR determines as a minimum.
That doesn’t mean that Etienne will only miss four games, but simply that he’s not allowed to come back before he sits out four games.
The first of those games will be on Monday night against the Falcons.
In Week 5, the Saints host the Vikings. Then it’s a trip to play the New York Giants in Week 6. After that, the Saints play the Steelers in France.
Etienne will have to miss those four games, and then the Saints have a bye in Week 8.
That means the earliest that Etienne can come back is Week 9, when the Saints host the Browns on Nov. 8.
When is Travis Etienne Coming Back?
Saints head coach Kellen Moore was careful in the lead-up to Week 4 to not guarantee that Etienne would hit the four-week minimum.
“It’ll take a little while,” Moore told reporters, via ESPN. “So obviously we felt like it would be at least four weeks and then we’ll just kind of see how this thing progresses.”
The Saints didn’t plan for the four-game absence to also include a bye week, but that could help the cause of getting Etienne back while missing the minimum amount of games.
Saints RB Depth Chart
Without Etienne, the top running back in New Orleans becomes Alvin Kamara, the veteran who was relegated in the depth chart by the signing of Etienne.
Kamara is far from the running back that he once was, but he’s probably the best the Saints have healthy at the moment.
Along with Kamara, the Saints have Kendre Miller, who has a skillset that can also be used on both the ground and in the air.
New Orleans will also have active CJ Donaldson active. He’s undrafted out of Ohio State but has already made an impact in short-yardage spots, as well as on special teams and in pass protection.
The Saints signed Ulysses Bentley IV to their practice squad to add RB depth, as well.
Etienne didn’t make a huge impact in the first three weeks, so in productivity, his absence may not be felt as much as expected. Still, the Saints would like their expensive RB back so he can start contributing more.
How Long is Travis Etienne Out? When Saints RB Can Come Back From Injury