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Doug Pederson: Travis Etienne is still our No. 1 running back

Tank Bigsby has been the most effective Jaguars running back all season and he turned in another big game in London on Sunday.

Bigsby ran 26 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns to help the Jaguars to a 32-16 win over the Patriots. Bigsby played a bigger role than usual because Travis Etienne was out with a hamstring injury, but head coach Doug Pederson said that neither Sunday’s performance nor Bigsby’s work in the first six weeks of the season would lead to a change on the running back depth chart.

“I’m a believer where injury doesn’t replace your position,” Pederson said, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “I think you have to have a fair competition for us. We’re blessed to have two really good running backs right now. When Etienne comes back, he’s just as explosive, just as good, just as powerful, and it’s still his job. “But Tank has done some really good things. We’re going to continue to find ways to put the ball in his hands, too, because he’s a little different runner than Etienne is.”

There has been trade chatter about Etienne as the Jaguars’ season has hit the skids, so Pederson may be doing his part to help stoke interest in a potential deal that could help the Jaguars get better in the future while opening the door to Bigsby in the present.