Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter underwent surgery on his right knee on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Dallas and will miss the remainder of the 2025 season, the team announced. Team physicians repaired damage to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) with no additional structural injury reported; the organization expects Hunter to be cleared for full football activities within six months. Hunter had been placed on injured reserve on Oct. 31 after sustaining a non-contact knee injury in practice on Oct. 30 while working on defense. The surgery ends a two-way rookie campaign that included a career-best offensive game in Week 7 and regular snaps on both sides of the ball.
- Hunter underwent LCL repair in Dallas on Nov. 11, 2025, performed by Dr. Dan Cooper and Jaguars team physician Dr. Kevin Kaplan.
- The Jaguars said there was no additional damage to the knee and that Hunter is expected to return to full football activities within six months.
- Hunter was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 31, one day after a non-contact practice injury; an initial MRI showed the ACL intact.
- Through Week 7 he had 28 catches for 298 yards and one receiving touchdown, plus 15 tackles and three pass breakups on defense.
- In Week 7 in London (35-7 vs. Los Angeles Rams) Hunter recorded eight receptions for 104 yards and his first NFL touchdown, his best offensive output to date.
- Before the injury he was playing 67% of offensive snaps and 36% of defensive snaps, reflecting the Jaguars’ two-way usage plan.
- The Jaguars acquired Jakobi Meyers on Nov. 4; Meyers played 24 snaps and had three catches for 41 yards in the 36-29 loss at Houston last Sunday.
- Jacksonville traded multiple draft assets, including a 2026 first-round pick, to move up and select Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick in 2025.
Background
Hunter arrived in Jacksonville after the Jaguars moved up to select him second overall in the 2025 draft, sending four picks to Cleveland, including a 2026 first-rounder, and surrendering the No. 5 pick plus additional 2025 selections while receiving a pair of later 2025 picks in return. The pick reflected Jacksonville’s commitment to a dynamic, two-way athlete who won the 2024 Heisman Trophy and was projected to become an immediate playmaker on offense while contributing on defense. The Jaguars had integrated Hunter into both roles early, allocating 67% of offensive snaps and 36% on defense before the injury, a heavy workload for a rookie and one that raised both excitement and durability questions among evaluators. The team also faced wide receiver depth challenges: Brian Thomas Jr.’s five drops and separate injuries to Dyami Brown and Thomas prompted the club to acquire veteran Jakobi Meyers at the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Injury management has been a recurrent issue for teams that deploy skill players on both sides of the ball, and Hunter’s case underscores those trade-offs. Placed on injured reserve Oct. 31 after the non-contact incident, the Jaguars initially reported an intact ACL on early imaging, but subsequent testing identified LCL damage that required surgical repair. The LCL stabilizes the outside of the knee and is less commonly injured than the ACL, but repair is still significant for a player whose role depends on sudden changes of direction and coverage responsibilities. The medical timeline provided by the team — a projected return to full activities within six months — suggests a rehabilitation course that could carry into the offseason and early 2026 program work.
Main Event
The Jaguars announced the operation took place in Dallas with Dr. Dan Cooper alongside team physician Dr. Kevin Kaplan. Officials emphasized that, after further testing following the Oct. 31 roster move, the isolated injury was limited to the LCL and did not involve the ACL or other structures. The team characterized the procedure as a repair, not a reconstruction, and framed the prognosis as positive for a full return within roughly half a year. Placing Hunter on injured reserve had opened a roster spot and triggered the team to lean more heavily on its remaining receiving corps and recent addition Jakobi Meyers.
Hunter’s on-field performance prior to the injury included his strongest offensive game in Week 7 in London, when he recorded eight receptions for 104 yards and his first NFL touchdown during a 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Those numbers were part of a season total of 28 catches for 298 yards and one receiving touchdown, while he also produced 15 tackles and three pass breakups on defense. The dual-role deployment gave Jacksonville a unique matchup weapon and considerable snap usage for a rookie, but it also raised questions about physical load and longevity.
Following Hunter’s injury, the Jaguars adjusted personnel usage and relied on Jakobi Meyers, acquired Nov. 4, who played 24 snaps and caught three passes for 41 yards in the 36-29 loss at Houston the prior Sunday. With the roster now thin at receiver due to Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr.’s recent ankle issue and Dyami Brown’s shoulder problem, Meyers’ veteran presence aims to stabilize the unit for the stretch run. Jacksonville will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday as it navigates rotation changes and seeks offensive continuity without Hunter.
Analysis & Implications
Medically, an isolated LCL repair with an intact ACL is a better outcome than combined-ligament injuries, but recovery still demands structured rehabilitation and carries performance risk for a player whose game depends on lateral quickness and coverage agility. The team’s six-month estimate projects Hunter’s return around spring or early summer 2026, which would allow participation in much of the offseason program but could limit early conditioning and two-way preseason work. For a rookie whose development curve involved mastering both receiver route trees and cornerback assignments, lost practice time is consequential: repetition is critical to both technique and the mental processing required for split responsibilities.
From a roster and competitive standpoint, Hunter’s absence forces Jacksonville to redistribute snaps and leaning more on veteran additions and younger wideouts. The midseason trade for Jakobi Meyers signals front-office urgency to replace production and leadership, but acquiring a veteran does not fully replicate the unique two-way mismatches Hunter created. Offensively, the Jaguars may simplify some concepts to reduce cognitive load on backups and favor quicker-decision plays that limit complexity while preserving explosive play potential.
Longer term, the injury will be evaluated in the context of the trade capital spent to select Hunter second overall and the club’s broader roster-building strategy. Teams that invest multiple high picks expect foundational players on long-term windows; a surgical repair with a positive prognosis mitigates the worst-case scenario but invites scrutiny on workload management for two-way personnel. The way Jacksonville manages Hunter’s return timetable and reintegration into a two-way role will be closely watched across the league as a test case for similar prospects.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Travis Hunter (pre-injury) | Typical rookie WR |
|---|---|---|
| Receptions | 28 | 20-40 (varies) |
| Receiving yards | 298 | 200-500 |
| Primary offensive snap % | 67% | 40-60% |
| Defensive snap % | 36% | 0-5% |
The table highlights how Hunter’s two-way usage differed from a standard rookie wide receiver, with substantially higher defensive snap share and above-average offensive involvement through Week 7. That split is uncommon and helps explain both his rapid impact and the durability concerns that accompany heavy, dual-role workloads.
Reactions & Quotes
‘There was no additional damage to the knee, and Hunter is expected to return to full football activities within six months.’
Jacksonville Jaguars (team announcement)
‘An initial MRI showed the ACL intact, but further testing revealed damage to the LCL that required repair.’
Jacksonville Jaguars (team announcement)
Unconfirmed
- Whether Hunter will be back for organized team activities in spring 2026 remains dependent on rehab progress and is not yet confirmed.
- The extent to which this surgery will affect a future two-way role long term has not been determined by independent medical evaluation.
- No public timetable has been shared for when Hunter will resume on-field, contact practice work beyond the team’s six-month general projection.
Bottom Line
Travis Hunter’s LCL repair ends his 2025 season but, according to the Jaguars’ medical update, does not involve additional structural damage. The club frames the prognosis as favorable, projecting a return to full football activities within six months, which would allow Hunter to participate in much of the offseason program if recovery stays on schedule.
Practically, Jacksonville must adapt immediately: the offense will lean on Jakobi Meyers and remaining receivers while coaching staff balance play-calling to cover Hunter’s absence. Long-term implications will hinge on Hunter’s rehabilitation and how the team manages his two-way role moving forward; observers should watch his reintegration plan and snap counts as the primary indicators of his post-injury trajectory.
Sources
- ESPN — U.S. sports media (report)