Saints RB Etienne placed on IR with hamstring injury, October 1

Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. has been placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury sustained during Week 3's loss to Las Vegas. Coach Kellen Moore said Etienne will not require surgery but will miss at least four weeks, per CBS Sports reporting. Etienne suffered the injury on a 16-yard run when he pulled up and grabbed at his hamstring as he ran out of bounds, per CBS Sports. The injury was to his left leg, the same one that bothered him during the week leading up to the game. Etienne had been a full participant in the final practice before the Week 3 game despite being on the injury report for the hamstring issue. Through three weeks, Etienne had 30 carries for 128 yards and had not scored a touchdown as a Saint. With Etienne sidelined, Moore said Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller will handle the bulk of the load, with CJ Donaldson working in short-yardage situations and special teams. The Saints signed Ulysses Bentley IV to the practice squad on Thursday, per ESPN. Through the first three weeks, Kamara had 24 touches and Miller had 15 touches, combining with Donaldson for 35 carries total compared to Etienne's 30. In Week 3 against the Raiders, Etienne had 13 carries despite leaving in the third quarter, while Kamara had nine carries and Miller had four. Moore said "We've got some depth on the practice squad as we navigate the next few weeks. I feel like we're in a good place." He also stated: "Very few times in this league is one running back gonna haul the load. That's just what this league is." When asked whether Etienne could return close to the initial four-game estimate, Moore said "we'll see," noting "It'll take a little while" and the injury "will just kind of see how this thing progresses," per CBS Sports, suggesting potential for a longer absence than the minimum. Kamara worked out a revised contract with the Saints in July that gave him a lower base salary while adding up to 8.5 million dollars in incentives, per ESPN. Kamara was inactive in Week 1 as he recovered from a sprained MCL sustained in training camp. The Saints rank in the middle of the pack in rushing production and lean heavily on the pass, per CBS Sports.