Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne has found himself at the center of trade rumors this offseason. However, new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has denied the rumors as categorically false.
“He’s done a great job,” Coen said, according to Pro Football Talk. “I don’t really understand some of the stuff I’ve kind of seen out there. That’s absolutely inaccurate.”
Etienne was asked about hearing his name in trade talks after Monday’s OTA practice, and the running back didn’t seem too concerned with the rumors.
“I just focus on what I control,” Etienne said, according to ActionNewsJax.com. “I mean, outside noise popping up — I feel like me worrying about that, I feel like I can’t change none of that, honestly. So I feel like it’s just a waste of my energy to even worry about that.
“I’m just coming here, and just do my job, and let things go where they go. I feel like everything happens for a reason. I’m always ready and just come in here and just do my job.”
Etienne is so unconcerned about the rumors that he responded the following way when asked if he felt as if there was anything he needed to prove to the Jaguars.
“Honestly, no,” Etienne said. “I feel like I just got to cut to come in and prove myself right — just be who I am, be who I have always been, and things work out for me.
“I just control the controllables. I feel like we all know it’s a business, it’s a production league. And I feel like if I didn’t produce, then it’s going to directly impact me. So I can’t let the outside world, the business aspect, affect my in-game performance because if I don’t perform, then I’m not going to be in the business.”
It’ll be interesting to see how Etienne performs in what will be the last year of his rookie deal.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.