The New Orleans Saints got themselves back on track with a nail-biting 23-22 overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 9, but it’s clear this still has quite a bit of work to do. The Saints are an inconsistent team on both sides of the ball, and if they want to take control of a wide-open NFC South division, they need to find a way to play at a high level more frequently.
Getting healthy would certainly help in that department, and in a positive development, New Orleans has gotten some injury news over the past couple of weeks. In recent days, star running back Travis Etienne Jr. has begun practicing in his quest to return from a hamstring injury, and while he initially seemed like a long shot to play on Sunday, he made it clear with his latest comments that he wants to make his return to action.
Travis Etienne Jr. Eyeing Return From Injury in Week 10 for the Saints
New Orleans signed Etienne to a four-year, $48 million contract in free agency with the hope that he would be able to come in and revitalize a rushing attack that went stagnant in 2025. Unfortunately, the Saints’ ground game has actually been worse this season, although it certainly hasn’t helped that Etienne has missed several weeks with a hamstring injury.
Etienne played in New Orleans’ first three games of the season, racking up 128 yards on 30 carries, while also catching 11 passes for 51 yards. It wasn’t necessarily a great start for Etienne, but he still was averaging 4.3 yards per carry before he hit the shelf, which is better than anything his replacements have managed to do over the past few weeks.
With first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson making his NFL debut last week, the Saints are finally beginning to get healthy on the offensive side of the ball, which bodes well for this team moving forward. After making his return to practice this week, Etienne made it clear he’s hoping he can join Tyson and the rest of his teammates on the field for his team’s Week 10 action.
“I hope so,” Etienne bluntly said when asked if he would play on Sunday. “I definitely want to, but whatever they require of me is what I’m gonna do. I’m just here to help the team. I feel like I’m not much help when I’m on the sidelines in my street clothes, so hopefully they’ll let me suit up, and I’ll go out there and just be a valuable asset to the team.”
Saints Offense Could Get Major Travis Etienne Jr. Boost in Week 10
Etienne hasn’t really had much of a chance to make a mark for the Saints in his first season with the team, and it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the team’s rushing attack has struggled during his absence. Getting him back would be huge, as Etienne would likely be able to take some of the pressure off of Tyler Shough’s shoulders in the passing game.
If Etienne winds up being unable to play, Audric Estime and Alvin Kamara would split the work out of the backfield in the team’s clash with the Carolina Panthers. Considering how he just began practicing, New Orleans may opt to give Etienne another week to get up to speed, but he’s clearly chomping at the bit, so if he keeps trending in the right direction, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make his long-awaited return on Sunday.
Saints’ Travis Etienne Jr. Sends Strong Message on Week 10 Injury Status