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When is Travis Etienne Jr. coming back? Will Travis Etienne Jr. play again this season? Read about Travis Etienne Jr.'s return date and injury updates for 2026.
Could New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) be ramping up for a return soon?
In 2025 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Etienne recorded 260 rushing attempts for 1,107 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, coupled with 36 receptions for 292 receiving yards and six additional scores. Following last year's strong performance, Etienne signed a four-year, $48 million contract with New Orleans in the offseason ahead of the 2026 campaign.
However, Etienne hasn't played since a Week 3 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders due to a hamstring injury. Etienne was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 1. He started each of the first three games for the Saints prior to the injury. When will Etienne come back, and what does his role look like once he returns to the lineup? Let's examine the situation.
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Travis Etienne Jr. Injury Update for Fantasy Football
In a 35-27 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, Etienne suffered a hamstring injury. He was initially ruled as questionable to return to that game, but he did not reenter the lineup. Etienne was dealing with hamstring issues before the Week 3 game against the Raiders, but he was cleared to play in that contest on Sept. 27.
Leading up to a Week 4 game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, the Saints placed Etienne on the reserve/injured list on the aforementioned date of Oct. 1 with a left hamstring injury. Etienne's placement on IR automatically forced him to miss the next four games.
At the time Etienne was placed on IR, Saints head coach Kellen Moore mentioned that Etienne's injury did not require surgery, but said that the injury would take the running back at least four weeks to recover from. However, Moore also noted that it will "take a little while" for Etienne to recover and that the team will need to see "how this thing progresses."
Etienne has already missed three games: Week 4 against the Falcons, Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings, and Week 6 at the New York Giants. The Saints went 1-2 in that stretch, defeating the Giants 34-27 this past Sunday. Etienne will be required to miss at least one more game, which will be a Week 7 game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Saints have a bye week in Week 8. That means the earliest that Etienne could return for New Orleans is Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 8. While that is the soonest that Etienne could potentially play, it is not guaranteed. It will depend on the severity of the hamstring injury and how quickly the running back heals.
It will be interesting to see if the Saints open the 21-day practice window for Etienne during the bye week. There should be more clarity on where Etienne stands in his recovery around Week 8 or Week 9, but things remain a bit cloudy as of press time.
#Saints RB Travis Etienne will go on Injured Reserve, coach Kellen Moore. He’s dealing with a hamstring injury. https://t.co/kMjQ4mMxZY
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 1, 2026
Travis Etienne Jr. Fantasy Football Outlook
Through three games, Etienne played 118 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He recorded 30 rushing attempts for 128 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and 11 receptions for 51 yards (4.6 yards per carry).
According to RotoBaller's NFL stats page, Etienne totaled 25.4 fantasy points and 8.5 fantasy points per game before his injury. Etienne earned four red-zone carries, but he has not found the end zone in 2026 so far.
With Etienne out, the Saints have relied on fellow running backs Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson. Miller currently leads the Saints in rushing yards with 153 on 49 attempts, and he has scored two touchdowns, but he hasn't been efficient at just 3.1 yards per carry. Miller has added six catches for 15 yards (2.5 yards per reception).
Kamara has amassed 35 rushes for 120 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and 15 receptions for 76 yards (5.1 yards per catch) while scoring three total touchdowns. Meanwhile, Donaldson has carried the ball 17 times for 81 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and four catches for 10 yards (2.5 yards per reception).
Etienne and Donaldson currently have the most offensive snaps played in the backfield with 118 each. However, Etienne will likely be surpassed by Donaldson, Miller (105 snaps), and Kamara (103 snaps) after the Week 7 matchup with the Steelers concludes.
While Etienne's lack of rushing attempts through the first two weeks (17 carries combined) was concerning, he saw 13 rushes in Week 3 alone before leaving in the third quarter against the Raiders. Seven of Etienne's 11 receptions came in a Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, showing that he has PPR or half-PPR appeal.
It feels likely that Etienne will immediately slot back into a fairly significant role once he returns healthy, but with a crowded backfield and the other running backs getting more comfortable, there will be plenty of competition.
Etienne was the team's starter before the injury, and with $28 million in guaranteed money with the Saints, expect him to remain involved with the offense when he returns. How exactly his snaps and touches will be split with the other running backs remains unclear, however.
“I feel like we’re in a good place.”
#Saints HC Kellen Moore on confidence in the RB room with RB Travis Etienne Jr. being placed on injured reserve. https://t.co/d12iNMoKhM
— NOF (@nofnetwork) October 1, 2026
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Week 7 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Kendre Miller, Alvin Kamara, CJ Donaldson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
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Popular Week 7 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 7 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 7 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 7 for Kendre Miller, Alvin Kamara, CJ Donaldson:
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