Jaguars: Travis Hunter’s rookie season over after knee surgery

The Jacksonville Jaguars have confirmed Travis Hunter’s rookie season is over following surgery on a knee ligament injury.

Jacksonville moved up to the second overall pick in this year’s draft to select Hunter, who starred at both wide receiver and cornerback for Colorado at the collegiate level.

The prospect of him playing both sides of the ball in the pros made Hunter one of the most intriguing players in the 2025 class, but his impact in doing so has fallen short of what many might have expected.

And he will now be a spectator for the remainder of the Jaguars’ season.

Surgery ends Travis Hunter’s season

A statement from the Jaguars read: “Earlier today [Tuesday], Jaguars WR/DB Travis Hunter underwent successful surgery to repair an isolated lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury in his right knee, the team announced.

“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. Hunter, 22, will miss the remainder of the 2025 season, but is expected to return within six months to full football activities.”

Hunter has played 67 percent of the offensive snaps and 36 percent of the defensive snaps this season, but has not featured for Jacksonville since the Week 7 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in London, in which he scored his first NFL touchdown.

While there have been flashes of the playmaking ability that led the Jaguars to make the trade for Hunter, the premature end to his season may lead to increased questions about the size of the investment they made in his services.

Jaguars’ draft decision under scrutiny

The Jaguars traded their original first-round selection (5th overall), a second-round selection (36th overall), a fourth-round selection (126th overall) and a 2026 first-rounder to the Cleveland Browns to move up the three spots required to land Hunter.

Seven games into his career, that move from general manager James Gladstone looks dubious.

Hunter has fared relatively well as a corner, allowing just 5.9 yards per target and a passer rating of 68.3 when targeted.

There have been flashes of the prowess he displayed in college as a receiver, but a tally of 298 yards and a touchdown on 28 receptions represents an underwhelming return on what the Jaguars gave up.

Of course, the Jaguars selected Hunter for more than just the 2025 season. However, after three losses in their last four games, scrutiny on the decision to trade for Hunter is likely to increase if the 5-4 Jags end up missing the playoffs.