Jags' Etienne on 2021: 'If there was any year to miss, I missed a great one'

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne sees a bright side in missing his entire rookie season due to a foot injury.

When asked Tuesday if he was glad he didn't have to go through Jacksonville's disappointing 2021 season, with a smile, Etienne said, "Definitely."

"That's just the human element of it, just seeing the results you're definitely like, 'Phew, if there was any year to miss, I missed a great one.'"

The Jaguars kicked off a new era last year after selecting quarterback Trevor Lawrence first overall. Jacksonville also brought in Urban Meyer as head coach, hoping the college football legend would help lift Lawrence's game to the next level.

Meyer's stint in the NFL didn't go as expected, though, as the Jaguars ended with a 3-14 record following a campaign marked with controversy. Meyer was fired midway through the campaign after going 2-11. The 57-year-old, who won two national titles at Florida and one at Ohio State in almost two decades in the NCAA, recently called his time in Jacksonville "the worst experience" of his professional career.

The team placed Etienne, the 25th overall pick in 2021, on season-ending injured reserve Aug. 24 after he sustained a Lisfranc injury during a preseason game.

The 23-year-old said he feels "85-90%" in his recovery, according to The Florida Times-Union's Eugene Frenette.

The Jaguars, who ranked 32nd in scoring last season, hired Super Bowl-winning former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson to replace Meyer this offseason.

"It's easy to get behind a guy who's been there, who has the blueprint," Etienne said of Pederson, according to the New York Post's Jaclyn Hendricks.