Travis Etienne was considered one of the top offensive talents in the 2021 NFL draft and his arrival at the Jaguars was seen as a major boost for the Jacksonville franchise. Sadly, his introduction to the NFL will be delayed 'indefinitely', that is, at least, the term that the Jaguars' medical team have used which does leave you fearing the worst.

In reality, it's just another development for the Jaguars that leaves them looking like remote outsiders as far as their bid to win the 2022 Super Bowl goes. The most recent NFL predictions seem to all but write off their chances and it doesn't get much better when you assess their current odds either.

Indeed, at +6600 in the latest NFL odds to win the Super Bowl LVI, it does look like it will be a long season for the Jaguars. Whether Travis Etienne plays any part of it remains to be seen but even if he does get onto the field at some stage, suffering a foot injury at just 22 is never a promising sign.

In essence, the injury that Etienne sustained was just a sprain and is currently being referred to as a mid-foot sprain. It sounds quite innocuous at first but the truth is that the middle of the foot does not heal particularly quickly. Crucially, the ligaments in this part of the foot play an integral part in how mobile we are so the only real option is to rest up completely until they are healed.

You can see the problem with that immediately given how eager the 22-year-old will be to make his NFL debut. The team's doctors will rely heavily on his word during his rehabilitation with the onus being on the player to eventually decide when he feels as if he is pain-free and ready to compete professionally again. It is perfectly natural for a player to want to see the back of the treatment table so you can naturally appreciate how hungry the Clemson University graduate will be to get back out on the park and begin fulfilling his dream once more.

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The truth, however, is that a rushed recovery from a foot injury can have severe ramifications down the line. In a perfect world, young players wouldn't sustain injuries to the foot but we don't live in one and when they do, they have to be expertly managed and perhaps even overruled from time to time. Missing a step now could result in the running back feeling some sort of discomfort in his foot until the day he retires.

Erring on the side of caution is the only responsible option when you consider how long a player like Travis Etienne has left in the game.

To give the medical team at the Jacksonville Jaguars their due, they have said that the 22-year-old will be out indefinitely which indicates that they know the very real perils of a premature return. All we can do now is wait and see how effective Travis Etienne will be when he takes to the field again.