NFL fans will have to wait until Week 1 of the regular season to see Travis Hunter play again. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will miss the rest of the preseason due to an upper-body injury.
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t provided any further details on the injury. However, the coaching staff is downplaying the severity, saying Hunter is being sidelined out of an abundance of caution.
“It was more just do we want him now or potentially not [playing against] Carolina [in Week 1],” Coen said. “It was more just being smart about the next few weeks because the ultimate goal is Carolina.”
Coen added that the dual cornerback and wide receiver would have likely played through the injury if it were a regular season game. “Could he have probably gone? I think so,” Coen said. “If this was Carolina, would he have probably played? Yeah, so we’re moving in the right direction.”
More Details About the Injury
Hunter has been dealing with the injury throughout the past week, according to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “Hunter suffered the injury during the team’s scrimmage on Aug. 14,” DiRocco wrote. “He did not practice the following day or play in the Jaguars’ second preseason game against New Orleans last Sunday. Hunter did participate in individual drills in the team’s practices Tuesday and Wednesday, which is what he did against the Dolphins.”
In addition to missing the Jaguars’ third and final preseason game against the Dolphins on Saturday, Hunter was held out of today’s joint practices. However, he participated in individual drills on offense. NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe called Hunter’s injury “minor” and added that he was running “full speed” on the sidelines.
When asked about Hunter’s injury, quarterback Trevor Lawrence said, “Hopefully we’ll get him back out there, running around really soon, and we can make up ground we might have missed.
“When it comes to man coverage, and him going and winning and making a play, I’m not as worried about that. I just have to give him a good throw,” Lawrence added.
Level of Concern in Jacksonville
Overall, the level of concern in Jacksonville is low. It appears unlikely that Hunter’s injury will prevent him from playing Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, let alone miss significant time during the regular season. It’s also important to note that the Jaguars are resting all starters in the final preseason game, so Hunter likely would have sat even if healthy.
The main concern, if any, is whether Hunter’s injury is a harbinger of future issues. The early absence echoes the biggest question mark surrounding the Heisman Trophy winner: can someone play two full-time positions in the NFL?
Many analysts, as well as current and former players, have noted the challenges of playing on both sides of the ball. It’s not just a question of learning two playbooks but of physically withstanding that many snaps of professional football.
Of course, Hunter has long proved doubters wrong. He was durable throughout his college career, missing just three games. And those absences were due to a freak play in which he lacerated his liver, not chronic injuries.
The days until Hunter can prove his durability at the NFL level are fast-approaching, as the Jaguars kick off at home against the Panthers on Sept. 7. From all reports, Hunter will be suited up and ready to go.
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