And perhaps nobody showed that better than Travis Hunter, the first-round rookie from Jacksonville who had an all-time season. Unfortunately, a noncontact knee injury has done just that. During a 35-7 loss, he caught eight passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, showcasing his talent and potential as a dual-threat player. Before his injury in practice on October 30, Hunter manned 67% of the team’s offensive snaps. He even played a role in 36% of the snaps on defense.
He had surgery on November 11 to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. Although this injury was definitely a blow, Hunter’s entire rookie season was impressive. He finished the season with 28 receptions for 298 yards and a score. On the defensive side, he had a massive impact with 15 tackles and three pass deflections.
Though Hunter struggled, most notably with five drops on the season, the Jaguars still believe in his potential going forward. During a press conference earlier this week, head coach Liam Coen sounded optimistic about Hunter’s recovery timeline.
“For him right now it’s about getting his rehab right and diving in mentally because of some of the limitations we’ll have throughout the offseason program,” – Liam Coen
General Manager James Gladstone passed along high praise and encouragement about Hunter’s development prior to the injury. Yet, he stressed, they’re still looking for Hunter to be a difference-maker on offense and defense.
“We still expect him to play on both sides of the ball,” – James Gladstone
Gladstone wanted to highlight Hunter’s incredible momentum just prior to his injury. With this recent development, all of that other good stuff has them excited for the potential of the second half of their season.
“The steps that he was taking by the midpoint of the season really made us feel good about what the back half of the year was going to be on both sides of the ball and what that impact was going to look like being a feature point on offense and an impact player on defense,” – James Gladstone
Hunter recently had his foot rehabilitated and, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, is projected to return to full football activities within the next six months. This timeline would allow him to return in time for organized team activities (OTAs) in May. If so, he’s well positioned for a comeback!
Regardless of what happens next, the Jaguars hope that Hunter eventually contributes on both sides of the ball once he fully joins the team in 2025. In a statement, Coach Coen said he looks forward to being able to work with Hunter as he moves further along in his recovery.
“But I’m really excited about getting back to work with Travis and continue that evolution and see what that looks like,” – Liam Coen
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