Panthers Given Strong Case to Acquire Local College Star This Preseason

The Carolina Panthers still have a laundry list of problems to solve before the 2025 season kicks off but hey, at least the run game isn’t one of them. Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle actually make for a respectable one-two punch, which, given this franchise’s luck, feels like finding a working lightbulb in a haunted house. Toss in rookie Trevor Etienne as a change-of-pace back and suddenly Carolina has something that vaguely resembles competence.

But in the NFL, there’s no such thing as “enough.” Especially not for a team that’s been wandering the desert in search of relevance for years. Bryce Young looked better last season, sure, but let’s not pretend the guy isn’t still fighting uphill. He needs all the help he can get, and the Panthers know it. The only thing that might keep this offense upright is the ground game whatever “success” ends up meaning in Carolina’s dictionary.

So why not overindulge a little? Enter Travis Etienne Jr., a Clemson product just a short drive from Charlotte and, conveniently, the big brother of Carolina’s shiny new rookie, Trevor. Panthers fans already bleed orange on Saturdays; why not extend the family reunion into Sundays too?

The Travis Etienne question

Jacksonville still calls Travis Etienne their starter at least on paper. In reality, 2024 wasn’t exactly a highlight reel. He stumbled his way to 558 yards and two touchdowns across 15 games, averaging a miserable 3.7 yards per carry, the worst mark of his career. Meanwhile, Tank Bigsby quietly snatched the spotlight, leading the Jags’ backfield in touches and efficiency. And because the NFL loves nothing more than discarding running backs before their 30th birthday, Jacksonville spent the offseason grooming rookie Bhayshul Tuten as if Etienne’s nameplate on the locker was already being pried off.

Etienne is only 26, but in running back years that’s basically the equivalent of turning 40 and realizing your joints hate you. He’s not finished, but Jacksonville is already daydreaming about life without him. A new contract there? Forget it. In Carolina, though, even as a rental, he’d still be a name worth circling. Two 1,000-yard seasons prove he can carry the load, and as RB3 on a crowded Panthers depth chart, he’d still bring versatility and a little star power to a team that hasn’t sniffed either in a while.

The family soap opera

Then there’s the juicy subplot. If Travis is shifting into the “aging vet who mentors the kids” phase of his career, who better to mentor than his own brother? Trevor Etienne arrives fresh from Georgia with plenty of upside, and learning directly from Travis not to mention Hubbard and Dowdle — would be an ideal apprenticeship.

Of course, being RB4 means Trevor probably won’t touch the ball much, but honestly, that’s not a tragedy. Running backs in today’s NFL have the shelf life of unrefrigerated milk. Maybe spending Year One as an understudy is the best possible scenario it means he might still be useful by the time Carolina decides whether it actually wants to win football games again.

From the local Clemson connection to the family storyline, Travis-to-Carolina just feels like the sort of move this franchise would make: unnecessary, sentimental, and kind of fun if you squint. Do the Panthers need another running back? Absolutely not. Hubbard and Dowdle both cleared 1,000 yards last season, which is more production than Carolina usually knows what to do with. But if the price is low, the marketing department is giddy, and the vibes are good? Why not. The Panthers have tried everything else.