Jaguars’ Travis Hunter surprisingly lands on injured reserve; coach noncommittal about return for this season
The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ injury report had a surprise name on it on Friday, adding two-way superstar Travis Hunter.
Head coach Liam Coen told reporters the reigning Heisman Trophy winner suffered a noncontact knee injury, adding he was unsure if Hunter would be able to return to the field this season.
“We’re currently assessing the injury just to determine the best course of action moving forward for Travis and for the team,” Coen said. “Feel bad for the guy, for the kid, for our team, for everything. He’s in good spirits right now. A minor setback for a major comeback.”
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Hunter delivered a career performance in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, and the Jaguars (4-3) had been planning to use him as their No. 1 receiver this week at the Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) partly because Brian Thomas Jr. leads the league with nine dropped passes.
Hunter has played a combined 486 snaps this season, 324 of those coming on offense. He has played 67% of the downs on that side of the ball. He has played 162 snaps on defense, or 36%.
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He has 28 receptions for 298 yards and a score. He also has 15 tackles and three passes defended.
The Jaguars were already banged up at receiver before Hunter’s injury. Thomas (shoulder) and Tim Patrick (groin) were limited participants for the second consecutive day Thursday, and Dyami Brown (shoulder) was a full participant after being limited Wednesday.
“I have a lot of confidence in these guys,” Coen said. “It’s a great opportunity for all of us to work through a little adversity and the guys to go out and perform at a high level. It’s definitely not ideal timing, not that any injury is ever ideal timing.
“But you got to believe the mental, the makeup, his general attitude toward life and how he handles dealing with specific situations, I have a lot of belief in Travis as a person, as a competitor to come back better than ever.”
The Jaguars traded up from the No. 5 spot in the NFL Draft to acquire the second overall pick, giving the Cleveland Browns a 2026 first-rounder, to select Hunter, who became a household name as an offensive and defensive superstar at Colorado.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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