On Friday, the Jacksonville Jaguars made the decision to place wide receiver Travis Hunter on injured reserve. The Dolphins said he suffered a noncontact injury to his right knee during practice on Thursday. This terrible turn of events comes extremely unfortunately right at the time Hunter was carving out a crucial role on the team’s offense. He’d just returned to center stage as the No. 1 wideout.
During practice last week, while playing defense, Hunter had the injury that has now caused him to be sidelined. First tests indicate that Hunter’s ACL is not torn. Additional evaluations are required to completely determine the extent of the injury and how long he will be sidelined from playing. The injury means that Hunter will miss a minimum of four games. If everything goes well, he should be able to make his return in Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans.
Hunter is a big reason why the Jaguars’ defense is dominating. He’s seen action on 67% of the team’s offensive snaps and 36% of defensive snaps this year. On offense, he’s posted 28 receptions for 298 yards and one touchdown. He’s fresh off what was arguably his best performance in the NFL. Just before the team’s bye week, he had a breakout game, catching eight passes for 104 yards and scoring his first professional touchdown, despite the Jaguars’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London.
The severity of Hunter’s injury marks a notable challenge for the Jaguars’ wide receiver corps. He has become the focal point of the team’s offensive scheme largely because of his elite, playmaking skills. A big reason for this change is the struggles of teammate Brian Thomas Jr. this season—five drops and counting.
To fill Hunter’s spot on the active roster, the Jaguars signed Austin Trammell from their practice squad. He’ll join the active roster once healthy. Jacksonville puts itself in an enviable position at cornerback. Montaric Brown and Jarrian Jones will step in to replace Hunter, allowing their stop-and-go defensive gameplans to remain deceptive and reliable.
Jaguars’ offensive coordinator Liam Coen said he was impressed by Hunter’s mental toughness after the injury.
“Not that any injuries are ever ideal timing, but got to believe the makeup, his general attitude towards 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.” – Liam Coen
Coen reflected on Hunter’s skill set and versatility, recalling how he initially showcased his talents on defense during training camp.
“We go back to training camp days that Travis was on defense,” – Liam Coen
The Jaguars are obviously in a holding pattern and need to changing things up offensively. They can not lose track of Hunter’s recovery. The team and fans will naturally wish for the fastest of recoveries and return to full effectiveness for their dynamic young franchise player.
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