Camp snapshot: Day 9

JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars returned to practice with a pop.

A lot of pop, actually. And a lot of hitting.

Three days after a loss in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, the Jaguars on Sunday held Day 9 of 2022 Training Camp at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville Knight Sports Campus. It was a full-padded, intense workout – a day that featured by far the hardest hitting of ’22 camp to date.

“That’s why we play; that’s why we love it,” second-year running back Travis Etienne Jr. said.

For Etienne, who missed his 2021 rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, it was his most intense hitting since his 2020 senior season at Clemson University.

“It felt great to be back out there,” said Etienne, the No. 25 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. “I got reminded quickly it’s a physical game.”

Etienne took several hard hits Sunday, saying with a smile afterward: “I see why I fell in love with the game. I love that adrenaline. I love being hit. I love being physical. Quickly, I was reminded it’s a physical game. I’ve just got to get back to myself. I’m grateful that I’m out here.

“I need that. I haven’t played in so long. I want to get tackled. I need to get tackled. It gets my body back acclimated with that. I missed that contact. I miss being in those car crashes.”

The Jaguars will play host to the Cleveland Browns in a Preseason Week 1 game at TIAA Bank Field Friday. Etienne, among multiple offensive and defensive starters held out of a 27-11 loss to the Raiders Thursday, was asked if he wanted to play against the Browns.

“I feel like I haven’t played in forever,” he said. “I feel like anytime I get the chance to showcase my skills, I’m always ready. Hell yeah, I want to play.”

The Jaguars worked for nearly two hours Sunday in temperatures that reached 88 degrees and felt like 97. The practice featured team blitz, team run and goal-line periods – with the periods featuring some of the most intense practice hitting in recent Jaguars memory.

The Jaguars are…