2025 NFL training camp: Anthony Richardson, Travis Etienne among veterans who could lose starting roles

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Many NFL teams entered training camp with a good idea of how they stack up in the big picture of the 2025 season. But there are still plenty of granular decisions to be made. With several key battles that could play out through camp practices and preseason games, there will be starters who are pushed out of jobs over the coming weeks and months.

How do we define a first-stringer? If a player started the majority of his team’s games in 2024, or if his salary resides in the upper reaches of his position, I considered that player as a de facto starter for this exercise. And several could be at risk of keeping those jobs.

Here are 13 players who might be in danger of losing their starting roles.

Richardson’s NFL path has been anything but smooth, and he hits training camp with a lot to prove entering Year 3. Having missed time this offseason with another shoulder issue, he must battle for his job against Daniel Jones, who has started 69 NFL games compared to Richardson’s 15.

Richardson has flashed skill commensurate with a former No. 4 overall selection, but it has been too sporadic. He completed just 47.7 percent of his passes last season, the lowest number for a QB with 250 or more passes in a season since Tim Tebow’s 46.5 completion percentage in 2011.

Jones might have a leg up if Richardson can’t make more routine plays or stay healthy. This feels like a legitimate battle, and the Colts surely want to see Richardson improve, but his big-play prowess has only taken him so far to this point. He needs to make major strides to keep his starting job in Indy. Jones might not be the greatest consolation prize, but you can bet Shane Steichen won’t hesitate to make a permanent change if he’s not seeing Richardson display the proper development.

Etienne is entering the final year of his rookie deal, coming off his worst season as a pro, and there’s a new regime taking over. On the one hand, Liam Coen’s offense might actually be a better fit for Etienne if the Jaguars can find ways to get him into space. Then again, Etienne’s opportunities as a full-time back are far from guaranteed.

Etienne kept his starting role last season when healthy, but Tank Bigsby saw an increased share of the backfield time, and Jacksonville drafted two backs this spring — speedy Bhayshul Tuten in Round 4 and LeQuint Allen in Round 7. Tuten’s explosiveness, in particular, could be a threat to Etienne’s role. If Coen believes the rookie is ready and Bigsby makes a push to start, there might only be so many opportunities for Etienne to prove himself in what could be his last year as a Jag.

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