Could Jaguars trade former first-round pick following 1-5 start?

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) suffered their fifth loss of the season in Week 6, falling to the Chicago Bears (4-2) 35-16.

It is the Jaguars' worst start to a season since 2021, when they also started 1-5 and finished the year with the worst record in the league (3-14).

That doesn't mean Jacksonville will do the same this season, but if the team continues losing, it will raise the question of whether it will look to trade any of its assets for future draft picks.

One player who's beginning to be subject to trade talks is running back Travis Etienne, who had a career-low minus-one yard on three carries Sunday.

Etienne, a first-round pick by the Jaguars in 2021, has had a disappointing start to his season, rushing for just 230 yards and two touchdowns in six games. He has also slipped behind second-year running back Tank Bigsby, who has more yards (297) and a better yards per carry average (7.2).

It's up for debate what Jacksonville could get in return of Etienne, but he has some value after rushing for 1,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons to begin his career. Etienne won't break the bank, either, with a base salary of $2.418 million in 2024.

The Jaguars did pick up Etienne’s fifth-year option, putting him under contract for a fully-guaranteed $6.143 million in 2025. So some teams might view that as a negative factor, given the market value of the position, but a fresh start may be all Etienne needs.

A team like the Cowboys would make a lot of sense. Dallas is currently averaging the fewest rushing yards per game (77.2) in the league. Without a ton of cap space, Etienne could prove to be the perfect pickup after passing on running back Derrick Henry (Ravens) in the offseason.

However, that will only happen if Jacksonville keeps losing. That's why head coach Doug Pederson knows something needs to change sooner rather than later if he and others hope to keep their jobs.

"We play a 17-game schedule, so we've got a few more games left," Pederson said, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. "Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to change. I say we, it's all of us — coaches, players, everybody. We've got to change right now that culture. Otherwise, it just gets out of control. We're on a slippery slope, or right on the cusp of that slope. At some point we've got to [say] enough is enough, and you've got to have enough pride and figure out a way."

The Jaguars face the New England Patriots (1-5) in Week 7.