Trevor Etienne's Panthers face brother Travis and the Saints
Trevor Etienne and the Panthers meet brother Travis Etienne's Saints in Week 10 with the NFC South lead at stake, as Trevor fights for an offensive role.
Livefeed News DeskUpdated · 3 min read
Quick answer
Trevor Etienne's Carolina Panthers play the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, putting him on the same field as his older brother, Saints running back Travis Etienne. The winner leads the NFC South. Trevor has 10 carries for 15 yards in four games since returning from injured reserve.
Key facts
- The Saints-Panthers Week 10 winner will lead the NFC South.
- Both brothers grew up in Jennings, Louisiana.
- Carolina drafted Trevor in the fourth round, No. 114 overall, in 2025.
- Trevor has 10 rushes for 15 yards in four games since returning from IR in Week 5.
- He has four kick returns for 96 yards and seven punt returns for 75 yards.
Brothers on opposite sidelines
The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints meet on Sunday in Week 10 with first place in the NFC South going to the winner. The game also puts two brothers on the same field: Panthers running back Trevor Etienne and Saints running back Travis Etienne.
Both grew up in Jennings, Louisiana, which made Travis's move to the Saints in free agency a homecoming of sorts. Timing has helped too. Travis is returning from injured reserve for Week 10 after a long absence, and Trevor was hurt at the start of the season.
How the Etienne brothers reached the NFL
Travis was the bigger college star, at Clemson. The Jacksonville Jaguars took him 25th overall in the first round of the 2021 draft, and he stayed there until this offseason, when he signed a four-year deal with New Orleans.
Trevor's route was bumpier. He started at Florida and finished at Georgia, and Carolina picked him in the fourth round, No. 114 overall, in 2025.
The brothers have met once before, in Trevor's NFL debut, when the Jaguars played the Panthers in Week 1 of 2025. They swapped jerseys afterwards, and Travis wrote "From the backyard to the league" on Trevor's. Before that game, Travis said facing his brother was "a dream come true".
Trevor Etienne's struggle for carries
On offence, Trevor's second season has been slow. He suffered an ankle injury at the start of the year and returned from IR in Week 5. In four games since, he has 10 rushes for 15 yards.
In the Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos he played seven offensive snaps, carrying twice for seven yards and returning one punt for nine yards. He was the only Panthers running back other than Chuba Hubbard to get a carry. As a rookie he ran 20 times for 94 yards.
What the Panthers coaches say
Head coach Dave Canales said the team still wants him involved. "I'm really counting on Trevor to continue to find a role and a way to affect it, and he had some nice runs in the game, and seems to be settling into his return role," Canales said.
Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik said Etienne had been "playing decisive" on a couple of his reps, while acknowledging the difficulty of limited snaps. "It's showing up in the kick return game as well," Idzik added.
Special teams role and Jonathon Brooks
Returns are where Etienne has been most useful: four kick returns for 96 yards and seven punt returns for 75. RotoWire expects him to stay Carolina's No. 2 back while Jonathon Brooks is sidelined with an abdomen injury.
That could change soon. The Panthers have opened Brooks's practice window, and Heavy expects Etienne to remain a part-time player whose offensive snaps may shrink.
Frequently asked questions
Are Trevor and Travis Etienne brothers?
Yes. Both are NFL running backs and grew up in Jennings, Louisiana; Trevor plays for Carolina and Travis for New Orleans.
When was Trevor Etienne drafted?
The Panthers drafted him in the fourth round, No. 114 overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft.
How has Trevor Etienne played in 2026?
He has 10 rushes for 15 yards in four games since coming off IR in Week 5, plus four kick returns for 96 yards and seven punt returns for 75 yards.
Have the Etienne brothers played each other before?
Yes, in Week 1 of 2025, when Travis's Jaguars played Trevor's Panthers in Trevor's NFL debut.
