Saints Place Travis Etienne Jr. on IR With Hamstring Injury

Running back Travis Etienne Jr. will miss at least four games after the New Orleans Saints placed him on injured reserve following a Week 3 hamstring injury.

The New Orleans Saints placed running back Travis Etienne Jr. on injured reserve Thursday, a move that mandates he miss at least the next four games. Etienne sustained a left hamstring injury during the third quarter of a Week 3 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The injury occurred at the conclusion of a 16-yard run, and while coach Kellen Moore confirmed the ailment does not require surgery, he noted the recovery will take some time.

New Orleans signed Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract during free agency, but the back had been managing hamstring issues in the week leading up to the Raiders game. To address the roster vacancy, the Saints signed Ulysses Bentley IV to the practice squad. Moore indicated that Kendre Miller and Alvin Kamara will now handle the majority of offensive snaps at the position.

Kamara, who recently signed a reworked deal adding up to $8.5 million in incentives, previously missed Week 1 while recovering from a sprained MCL. Rookie CJ Donaldson is expected to see action in short-yardage situations, pass protection, and special teams during Etienne's absence. Moore stated that the team will evaluate Etienne's progress after the initial four-week window to determine if he is ready to return to the active roster.