Travis Hunter, the NFL’s first full-time two-way player in roughly 60 years, has been a threat to opponents across the league. Displaying one of his most impactful games in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams, he proved to be reliable. But Hunter’s season-ending injury now jeopardizes the Jacksonville Jaguars’ playoff prospects.

“Travis Hunter underwent surgery today to repair his LCL, which will sideline him for the remainder of the season. There was no additional damage beyond his LCL. The procedure was done by Dr. Cooper and Dr. Kaplan in Dallas. He’s expected to return to full football activities within six months,” Adam Schefter reported on X.  

Fans expressed their support for the wide receiver amidst the unfortunate incident.

One fans wrote, “Tough break for Travis dude was ballin hope he bounces back quick that six months gonna feel long.” The Jaguars were returning from their Week 8 bye when Hunter sustained his injury in practice. NFL rules require any player placed on injured reserve to miss at least four games. Yet the surgery confirms that it is the end of the season for the two-way threat.

“Hope he gets well soon,” another fan added. His recovery is crucial for the Jaguars because he is one of the rookies who has balanced the drives in the league. Hunter has the fourth-highest percentage of offensive snaps among rookie wide receivers thus far this season, at 67%. Among rookie defensive backs, he has played on 36 percent of defensive snaps, ranking 15th.

“How will their secondary ever recover?” this is not just what the fans are thinking about but also what the Jaguars are working towards. Filling that gap on both offensive and defensive. Instead of using him as an every-down player, the Jaguars have employed him mostly on pass-heavy downs on offense and on third downs on defense at different points during the season. But Coen focused on getting the ball to Hunter against the Rams, giving him a season-high number of targets and offensive snaps.

Hunter has caught 28 passes on 45 targets for 298 yards and one touchdown so far this season. He has 15 tackles, three pass breakups, and a fumble recovery as a cornerback.  Hunter, traded up to draft No. 2 in the 2025 NFL Draft, established himself this season as a standout rookie. The Jaguars are 5-4 and in second place behind the Indianapolis Colts (8-2) in the AFC South, looking forward to a chance at the Super Bowl.

Hopefully, just as he had bounced back from an upper body injury during the preseason. He will surely showcase his comeback from this with a meticulously planned recovery structure by the Jaguars.