Travis Hunter is going to play cornerback and wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Sadly, he will be forced to miss Sunday’s preseason matchup against the New Orleans Saints due to an upper-body injury. His absence adds to the expanding list of injured starters. He now joins the ranks of an important 11 players who will be unavailable for selection against the Magpies.
Hunter was visible at practice, as he stood alongside wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett, as he held a play sheet. In discussing the injury Tuesday, Coach Liam Coen indicated that Hunter’s injury is serious enough to keep him out of Saturday’s game. Even though Hunter is deeply engaged in training, he’ll miss it. The coaching staff made player health and safety their first priority. They chose to move forward and bench Hunter after he was ruled out of a walk-through on Friday.
During recent practices, Hunter has showcased that dual-threat ability by regularly serving both as an offensive and defensive weapon. That’s quite an impressive number when you consider he’s taken just 364 total snaps in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 practices over the last 15 sessions. Thursday’s scrimmage proved his versatility as he took 17 offensive snaps and 16 on defense. Fans and coaches alike were buoyed by the performance and expectations mounted with respect to his impact this season.
Now that Hunter is out, the Jaguars go in to take on the Saints. They’ll be without a half-dozen other injured players, including Cole Van Lanen (shoulder), Montaric Brown (lower body), Jalen McLeod (lower body), Caleb Ransaw (lower body) and Dennis Gardeck (knee). Dyami Brown, the third starting wide receiver, will miss the game. The medical team hasn’t disclosed the reason for his absence.
Given Hunter’s injury status, there has been speculation about his future in the NFL. His ability transforms the game as much on defense as it does on offense. That begs the question of whether he needs to commit to a single position going forward. As the Jaguars look to finalize their roster for the regular season, maintaining Hunter’s health will be crucial for his development and the team’s overall performance.
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