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Saints place Travis Etienne on injured reserve with hamstring injury
New Orleans will be without running back Travis Etienne for at least four games after placing him on injured reserve.
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New Orleans have placed running back Travis Etienne on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, with the transaction reported on 1 October. Source Source Source
The designation means Etienne is set to miss a minimum of four games. Source Source
The injury occurred during the Saints’ Week 3 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. Source Source
Etienne aggravated a pre-existing hamstring concern on a 16-yard run in the third quarter of that game. Source
The diagnosis
Kellen Moore indicated that the injury would require at least four weeks of recovery time. Source
That recovery estimate aligns with the minimum absence attached to Etienne’s injured-reserve placement. Source Source
The Saints’ Week 8 bye means Etienne is eligible to return as early as Week 9, when New Orleans are due to play the Cleveland Browns. Source
The reported timetable therefore establishes a minimum absence and an earliest possible return point, rather than a confirmed return game. Source Source
Sporting impact
Etienne had played in all three of the Saints’ games in 2026 before the move, carrying 30 times for 128 yards and catching 11 passes for 51 yards. Source
With Etienne sidelined, Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller are expected to take on the majority of the running-back workload. Source
The Saints signed wide receiver Kevin Austin from the practice squad to the active roster in the corresponding transaction. Source
New Orleans also added linebacker David Ojabo and running back Ulysses Bentley IV to the practice squad. Source
Those practice-squad additions include both a linebacker and a running back, while the immediate backfield workload is expected to fall mainly to Kamara and Miller. Source Source
Notes
The reports agree on the central details: Etienne is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and must miss at least four games. Source Source Source
Week 9 is the earliest stated point at which he can return, but his playing status for that game is not specified in the supplied reports. Source
Etienne joined the Saints in free agency on a four-year contract worth $52 million. Source Source
His early-season production and the expected redistribution of carries make the backfield the primary on-field consequence of the move. Source Source
Key facts
5 data points- 2026 production before injury
- 30 carries, 128 rushing yards, 11 receptions and 51 receiving yards
- Source: NFL Trade Rumors
Sources used in this piece
3 sources