Travis Etienne Trending Toward Return from Hamstring Injury for Jaguars vs. Eagles

The Jacksonville Jaguars could be getting some reinforcements on offense going into Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Head coach Doug Pederson told reporters on Wednesday that he "feels good" about Travis Etienne Jr. returning from a hamstring injury this week.

Etienne originally injured his hamstring in the second quarter of Jacksonville's 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 6. He has been held out of the past two games to give the injury time to heal.

The big question, assuming he suits up on Sunday, is how big of a role will Etienne have against the Eagles. He has been the starter in each of his six games this season, but Tank Bigsby has been far more effective.

A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, Bigsby ranks fifth in the NFL with 5.8 yards per carry on 85 attempts. His four total touchdowns rank second on the team, trailing only Brian Thomas Jr. with five.

Etienne is averaging a career-low 38.3 rushing yards per game this season. He's still used as their primary receiver out of the backfield with 16 catches, but his efficiency has gone down in that area. The 25-year-old is averaging just 5.7 yards per reception, down almost three full yards from his first two seasons (8.5).

There are some positive signs to indicate Etienne is getting a little unlucky. His 53.6 percent success rate running the ball is the best mark of his career and ranks 18th overall. It's better than Saquon Barkley (52.3), Josh Jacobs (51.7) and Alvin Kamara (51.2).

Having Etienne and Bigsby together in the same backfield will open things up for Pederson's offense if he is able to have both of his running backs healthy.

Jacksonville needs all the help it can get right now with a 2-6 record. The offense is coming off one of its best games of the season with 27 points and 390 yards, but it came in a loss to the Green Bay Packers because the defense is struggling to stop anyone.

The Jaguars and Eagles will play at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET. Jacksonville's last road win over an NFC team was against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7 of the 2023 season.