Trevor Etienne Injury News & Updates

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.

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.

Etienne played just four of the Panthers' 75 offensive snaps and rushed once for two yards in Sunday's 30-27 overtime win over the Falcons.

The rookie from Georgia has now played just 10 offensive snaps across Carolina's last four games, affirming his position as the team's No. 3 running back behind Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. Although Etienne has played a minor offensive role, he's contributed on special teams, recording 544 total return yards through the Panthers' first 11 contests. He's expected to remain Carolina's top return specialist in the Week 12 matchup against the 49ers.

Etienne played just two of the Panthers' 54 offensive snaps and logged 70 kick-return yards in Sunday's 16-13 win over the Packers.

Etienne was not a part of the Panthers' offensive game plan in Week 9 and played behind Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, tying his fewest offensive snaps in a game this season. However, the rookie running back still contributed on special teams, returning three kicks for 70 yards. Through his first nine NFL games, Etienne has logged 21 touches for 101 yards and 464 total return yards across 117 total snaps (68 on special teams, 49 on offense). He's likely to play another depth role in Carolina's backfield heading into the Week 10 matchup against the Saints.

Etienne rushed four times for 16 yards during Sunday's 40-9 loss to the Bills.

The rookie running back from Georgia was not involved in the Panthers' offense until late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss, receiving four consecutive carries. Etitenne also contributed on special teams, logging a career-high 100 kick-return yards and 13 punt-return yards on six opportunities. He's expected to continue playing a depth role in Carolina's backfield heading into the Week 9 matchup against the Packers.

Etienne rushed three times for 17 yards during Sunday's 30-27 win over the Cowboys.

The rookie running back from Georgia continued to work in a reserve role, as Rico Dowdle tallied 239 total yards and a touchdown on 34 touches in the Panthers' Week 6 win. Etienne has now rushed 15 times for 76 yards and caught both of his targets for nine yards over his first six games as a pro. He's expected to remain a depth option in Carolina's backfield while operating as the team's kick and punt returner in a Week 7 matchup against the Jets.

Etienne rushed four times for 22 yards and caught his only target for seven yards in Sunday's 27-24 win over the Dolphins.

With Chuba Hubbard (calf) sidelined Sunday, the rookie running back from Georgia logged a career-high 12 offensive snaps. However, this increase in playing time didn't translate to production, as Etienne recorded just five touches. He was overshadowed by Rico Dowdle, who tallied 232 total yards on 26 touches while making his first start as a Panther. Even if Hubbard remains out in the Week 6 matchup against the Cowboys, Etienne is expected to continue playing a depth role in Carolina's backfield.

Etienne rushed seven times for 33 yards during Sunday's 42-13 loss to the Patriots.

With the Patriots hokding a 36-point lead early in the fourth quarter, Etienne saw increased offensive work as Carolina benched its starters. The 2025 fourth-round pick played a career-high 11 offensive snaps and rushed for 33 yards, highlighted by a 22-yard carry. However, he was still out-touched by Chuba Hubbard (13 touches) and Rico Dowdle (10 touches), indicating that he remains firmly behind them in the Panthers' backfield. Etienne is likely to remain a depth option while continuing to operate as the team's top return man heading into a Week 5 matchup against the Dolphins.

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.

Etienne rushed one time for four yards in Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Jaguars.

The 2025 fourth-round pick from Georgia appears firmly behind both Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle in Carolina's backfield, as Etienne played just two offensive snaps Sunday. However, the 21-year-old served as the Panthers' top kick and punt returner, logging 43 kick-return yards. Etienne is expected to remain a depth option in Carolina's backfield ahead of a Week 2 matchup with the Cardinals.

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.

Etienne rushed seven times for 18 yards, brought in his only target for seven yards and rank back two kickoffs for 45 yards in the Panthers' 20-3 preseason loss to the Texans on Saturday afternoon.

The rookie was the third back in behind Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, and although he managed just modest gains on the ground, he offered reasonable production with his touches as a receiver and returner. Etienne appears to be in line to open the regular season in the same slotting in the backfield pecking order that was featured Saturday while also potentially seeing time as a returner on occasion.

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.

The Panthers selected Etienne in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 114th overall.

This selection didn't necessarily fill a need for the Panthers, as they already signed Rico Dowdle this offseason to complement Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks (knee) on the running back depth chart. However, Etienne does add a pass-catching threat to the Panthers' backfield and is expected to be an adequate blocker, traits he was able to showcase in his final collegiate season at Georgia. His ability to see the field during his rookie year is likely to depend on Brooks' recovery, giving him limited fantasy appeal in 2025 for the time being.