With the team looking to improve from its league-worst red zone-to-touchdown conversion percentage, the addition of running back Travis Etienne Jr. provides the New Orleans Saints with a very productive weapon to lean on inside the 20-yard line in 2026.
New Orleans ran 113 red zone plays in 2025, No. 29 in the NFL. When they got into position to score, particularly early in the season, taking advantage of those rare opportunities didn’t happen often enough. The Saints clocked only a 44.4% red zone-to-touchdown percentage last year.
Etienne, the player most often tied to revitalizing the team’s explosive run game, will also provide the team a more unheralded value during his first season with the team. That is, until he begins to produce.
The Jennings, La. native tallied seven receiving touchdowns in 2025, four of which were in the red zone. On top of that, he was one of the league’s most productive receiving backs all season in the area, ranking No. 6 in the league in red zone receiving yards.
His ability to run routes and catch out of the backfield could end up making him one of the most powerful weapons in the red zone for New Orleans.
Often, only wide receivers and tight ends are credited as threats inside the 20, but having an impactful run game that’s complemented with a versatile attack out of the backfield can be just as impactful.
Going into 2026, it’s clear that the Saints identified not just players that can help their offensive attack ascend, but also those that will be uniquely helpful in curbing some of the team’s weak points from the previous year.
The acquisition of Etienne may be one of the most prolific examples of that approach along with the first-round selection of wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Beyond his ability to help the team’s run game improve from a general standpoint, Etienne might just be one of the keys to turning around one of the club’s most pronounced eyesores from the previous year.
