Panthers' Trevor Etienne: Placed on IR, designated to return
Rotowire
Etienne (ankle) was placed on injured reserve by the Panthers on Sunday with a designation to return, Darin Gantt of the team's official website reports.
Etienne suffered an ankle injury in Friday's preseason finale versus Houston, and he will now be forced to miss at least four contests while on IR. The running back was expected to operate as a depth option behind Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) and Jonathon Brooks to open the season, so in his absence, AJ Dillon will likely slot in as the No. 3 option. Additionally, Etienne has operated as the team's primary return specialist on both kicks and punts, so Carolina will have to find replacements there for the time being.
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Panthers' Trevor Etienne: Dealing with ankle issue
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Etienne (ankle) is being evaluated to diagnose the extent of his injury, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.
Etienne rushed one time for two yards in Friday's preseason finale against the Texans. The running back is set to be the starting kick and punt returner for the Panthers, as well as the primary depth behind the split backfield of Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) and Jonathon Brooks. If Etienne's injury requires him to miss the Week 1 game against the Bears, AJ Dillon will likely be the No. 3 running back, while Jimmy Horn and David Moore could return kicks and punts.
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Panthers' Trevor Etienne: No touches in Week 17
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Etienne played three of the Panthers' 52 offensive snaps and tallied 91 kick-return yards during Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Seahawks.
Etienne hasn't received a carry since the Panthers' Week 11 win over the Falcons, playing just nine offensive snaps over the team's last five games. The Georgia product has operated as Carolina's top return man this season, recording 733 punt-return yards and 160 kick-return yards across 16 appearances. Expect the rookie running back to contribute primarily on special teams while Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard handle the Panthers' backfield duties in the Week 18 matchup against the Buccaneers on Saturday.
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Panthers' Trevor Etienne: Limited to special teams Sunday
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Etienne received no offensive touches but tallied 33 punt-return yards during Sunday's 23-20 win over the Buccaneers.
The 21-year-old has gone without an offensive touch in five of the Panthers' last seven games, suggesting he's firmly behind both Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard in the team's backfield. Etienne has now tallied 642 kick-return yards and 160 punt-return yards while appearing in all 15 of Carolina's contests this season. He's expected to remain the team's top return man in the Week 17 matchup against the Seahawks.
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Panthers' Trevor Etienne: Makes impact vs. Rams
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Etienne caught his lone target for four yards in Sunday's 31-28 win over the Rams. He added four kick returns for 89 yards and one punt return for 15 yards.
The rookie from Georgia received an offensive touch for the second time in the Panthers' last five games and recorded the second-most total return yards (104) of his career during Sunday's win. Etienne has now rushed 20 times for 94 yards and caught all three of his targets for 13 yards over Carolina's first 13 games. Additionally, he's tallied 617 kick-return yards and 111 punt-return yards. The 21-year-old will likely remain a minor portion of the Panthers' offensive game plan following the team's Week 14 bye.
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Panthers' Trevor Etienne: No touches vs. San Francisco
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Etienne went without an offensive touch in Monday night's 20-9 loss to the 49ers.
All of the Panthers' backfield work went to Rico Dowdle (10 touches for 74 yards) and Chuba Hubbard (seven touches for 43 yards), suggesting Etienne remains a minimal portion of the offensive game plan. Etienne, a 2025 fourth-round pick from Georgia, has now recorded 528 kick-return yards and 96 punt-return yards through Carolina's first 12 games. He's expected to remain the team's primary return man in the Week 13 matchup against the Rams.
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Panthers' Trevor Etienne: Just two snaps in Week 2
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Etienne caught one pass for two yards in Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Cardinals.
Etienne has now played just four offensive snaps through two games this season but has recorded a touch on two of those opportunities. Even so, the rookie from Georgia's primary role appears to be as Carolina's top return man after tallying 101 total return yards on five attempts in Week 2. Etienne is expected to continue playing behind both Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle in the Panthers' backfield heading into Week 3, when the Falcons travel to Carolina.
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Panthers' Trevor Etienne: Rips off 28-yard run
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Etienne took three carries for 26 yards and saw three incomplete targets in Thursday's 19-10 preseason loss to Pittsburgh.
With Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle rested, Etienne got the start and broke free for a 28-yard gain on his first run. He got stuffed on his other two carries, however, and didn't have any luck on his targets. Etienne likely will enter Week 1 as Carolina's No. 3 running back, but the fourth-round pick could reasonably challenge Dowdle for the second spot on the depth chart this year.
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Panthers' Trevor Etienne: Costly fumble in preseason debut
Rotowire
Etienne gained three rushing yards on two carries, caught his only target for 14 yards, and added 27 yards on two kick returns in Friday's 30-10 preseason loss to the Browns.
The 2025 fourth-round pick was the third running back into the game for the Panthers after Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, and while Etienne's varied usage was encouraging, he also muffed a punt deep in Carolina territory at the end of the first quarter that led directly to the Browns' first TD of the game. Raheem Blackshear, Etienne's primary competition for the No. 3 spot on the RB depth chart, handled kick- and punt-return duties for Carolina in 2024 and gained a career-high 936 yards in that role, so the rookie's miscue could weigh heavily on his prospects. Given the draft capital expended on him, Etienne's spot on the 53-man roster is likely secure, but he's got a tough road to carving out any kind of fantasy value.
