The Jacksonville Jaguars have been dealt a brutal blow to one of their biggest stars. Rookie dual-threat receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter has landed on the injury reserve following a non-contact knee injury during practice.

Head coach Liam Coen noted the team’s “assessing the injury just to determine the best course of action moving forward for Travis and the team.” But an IR placement means he is likely to miss “at least 4 games”, if not more. So, a Week 13 return or beyond could now be on the cards. Coach Coen shared empathy with Travis’ situation as he noted:

“It just feels… bad for the guy… for our team, for everything. But he’s in good spirits right now. A minor setback for a major comeback. That’s just the way it’s got to be. – I have a lot of belief in Travis as a person, as a competitor, to come back better than ever.”

Despite Travis Hunter’s skills on both sides of the ball, he has been playing as a receiver so far. Across 7 games, he completed 28 out of 45 catches for 298 yards and a single touchdown. He was also supposed to have a bigger role in the offense soon. But that plan’s now put on hold.

After a bye week, the team is now set to clash against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9. Now, it’s next man up, and Liam Coen has shared some names for the job. And yet, despite his optimism, the receiver room looks severely stretched out at the moment.

Liam Coen’s receiver depth threatened

Once Travis Hunter’s injury update dropped, the unavoidable question Liam Coen faced was who would take the place of WR2. Coen sounded positive when he named receivers Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and Parker Washington to fill the gaps and take the Jags forward.

“We go back to training camp days that Travis was on defense. It was Dyami, BT, and Parker rolling at the receiver positions and did some really good things. I have a lot of confidence in these guys. It’s a great opportunity for all of us to work through a little adversity and the guys to go out and perform at a high level.” But here’s the thing.

That’s not going to be so easy at the moment. Brian Thomas Jr. has a questionable status right now as he reels from a shoulder injury. He was notably a limited participant in practice on Thursday, October 30. Behind Travis Hunter on the depth chart, there’s Tim Patrick. But he’s questionable too, dealing with a groin injury. And there’s no one behind Washington, since Joshua Cephus has been on the IR since August. Brown and Washington remain the only two fully healthy receivers on the chart.

The Jaguars’ receiving corps is now stretched so thin that another major injury sideline could derail any hope they have of stacking some wins to their 4-3 campaign. For now, we look at the upcoming Week 9 clash. Beyond that, Coach Coen would have to shore up the room with some more talent just in case.