UNDATED, Fla. (AP) — Travis Etienne’s rookie season is over before it begins.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ rookie running back suffered a left foot injury during Monday’s preseason loss at New Orleans. The first-round draft pick from Clemson is expected to have surgery as soon as possible.
Losing Etienne is a significant setback for the Jaguars, who planned to use him to create mismatches in the slot and as a third-down back. Jacksonville selected Etienne with the 25th overall pick in April’s draft and paired him with fellow Clemson star Trevor Lawrence.
In other NFL developments:
— Receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis are among four Bills players spending at least five days away from the team facility. The four are isolated from the team after having close contact with a trainer who tested positive. General manager Brandon Beane said additional players have been sent home for precautionary reasons. Beasley has been an outspoken critic against vaccinations and the league’s COVID-19 policies.
— The Panthers and receiver Robby Anderson have agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension that includes $20.5 million in guaranteed money. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the deal that keeps Anderson from testing the free agent market next spring. He’s coming off a career season in his first year with the Panthers, catching 95 passes for 1,096 yards and three touchdowns.
— The Bears will start rookie quarterback Justin Fields in the preseason finale Saturday at Tennessee against the Titans. He still is regarded as the Bears’ backup to veteran Andy Dalton for the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
— Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he expects Cam Newton to return to the field this week for the second day of joint practices with the Giants. The quarterback missed a second day of practice because of a misunderstanding of COVID-19 testing rules. Newton is under an NFL-mandated five-day reentry process for unvaccinated players.
— Browns wide receiver Davion Davis has been suspended two games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on substance abuse. The league suspension stems from a driving under the influence charge Davis got while he was with the Vikings in 2019.
— Browns defensive end Takk McKinley has returned to the team after leaving training camp last month for personal reasons. McKinley took part in the early walkthrough portion of practice on Tuesday before he was spotted heading into the training facility.
— Former Cardinals first-round pick Josh Rosen has signed with the Falcons and will compete to open the season as the backup quarterback. Rosen replaces AJ McCarron, who was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL. The Falcons are Rosen’s fifth team in four seasons.
— Three-time All-Pro receiver Cliff Branch and Super Bowl-winning coach Dick Vermeil are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2022. Branch is the senior candidate and Vermeil is the nominee in the coaches category picked by a five-person committee of Hall of Fame voters.
