Travis Hunter’s rookie season is over.
The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ two-way star underwent season-ending knee surgery to repair his lateral collateral ligament (LCL), the team announced Tuesday. Following surgery, Hunter is expected to be sidelined from football activities for up to six months, according to the Jaguars.
Hunter, who played wide receiver and cornerback for Jacksonville this season, suffered the injury during practice on Oct. 30 and was placed on injured reserve shortly after, missing the Jaguars’ first two games following their Week 8 bye.
Entering the season, Hunter was one of the favorites to win both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado in 2024, had some struggles acclimating to becoming one of the NFL’s first two-way stars in recent memory as a rookie. He finished the year with 28 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown in seven games on offense, playing in 67% of the team’s offensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference.
The Jaguars didn’t use Hunter as much defensively. He played in 36% of the team’s defensive snaps when healthy, per Pro Football Reference. But he had 15 total tackles and three passes defended, while giving up nine receptions on 15 targets for 96 yards and zero touchdowns in 120 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Hunter was taken by the Jaguars with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after a monster draft day trade with the Cleveland Browns. Jacksonville surrendered the fifth overall pick, its 2025 second-round pick, its 2025 fourth-round pick and its 2026 first-round pick in order to draft Hunter. The Jaguars also received a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick as part of the deal.
Prior to the Nov. 4 trade deadline, the Jaguars were able to attain some wide receiver help following Hunter’s injury. They traded for Las Vegas Raiders standout Jakobi Meyers, giving up a pair of Day 3 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Jaguars fell to 5-4 on the season following their Week 10 loss to the Houston Texans. They hold the seventh seed in the AFC playoff picture entering Week 11.
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