Travis Hunter’s rookie season ends early as Jaguars announce surgery to repair LCL injury
Travis Hunter’s rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars has ended early.
The Jaguars announced Tuesday that Hunter will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to repair the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his right knee.
“Beyond the LCL, there was no additional damage to the knee, which Hunter injured during practice on Oct. 30. The procedure was performed by Dr. Dan Cooper and Jaguars team physician Dr. Kevin Kaplan in Dallas,” the team said in a statement.
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The team said Hunter “is expected to return within six months to full football activities,” which would have him ready to start the 2026 NFL season.
Unfortunately for Jacksonville, a team in the playoff hunt at 5-4, it will be a tough loss for the remainder of the year.
Hunter was placed on injured reserve on Halloween, one day after he suffered the non-contact injury at practice. The team had hoped the severity of the injury wasn’t too bad, especially after the initial MRI showed his ACL was intact.
However, further testing on the right knee found damage to the LCL, and surgery was needed to repair it.
Hunter, the dual-threat who went second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, seemed to be getting going in his final game. As a receiver, he caught eight passes for 104 yards with his first NFL touchdown in the 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London. He tallied 28 catches for 298 yards and one touchdown through his rookie season.
When he was called in at cornerback, Hunter had 15 tackles and three passes defended, though he only played 36% of the team’s defensive snaps before his injury. He was on the field for 67% of the team’s offensive snaps.
The Jaguars made a trade deadline move to help a depleted receiving corps, bringing in Jakobi Meyers in a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Brian Thomas Jr., who has struggled with drops this season, injured his ankle in Week 9, while Dyami Brown is dealing with a shoulder injury.
Jacksonville will need to battle through yet another key loss on its roster, especially after a collapse on the road against the Houston Texans, who scored 26 points in the fourth quarter to come from behind and beat their AFC South rival.
The Jaguars will play host to the surging Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
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