Etienne was rested for all three of the Saints' preseason contests and is fully healthy heading into the team's Week 1 game in Detroit.
Etienne was one of the few Saints running backs to avoid any sort of injury scare or setback during training camp. Devin Neal (hamstring) and Ty Chandler (knee) will be out for the season after landing on injured reserve, and Alvin Kamara (knee) appears to be trending toward sitting out Week 1. Additionally, Kendre Miller sustained a minor undisclosed injury during practice Tuesday and is day-to-day, while Audric Estime is healthy but missed time in camp due to an ankle issue. After signing a four-year, $52 million deal in March, Etienne had already looked poised to handle a sizable workload for New Orleans both as a lead runner and pass catcher, and the battered condition of his backups following camp and the preseason adds further fuel to the notion that he'll be in line for heavy volume right of the gate.