Jacksonville Jaguars' locker room reacts to losing 'energetic' rookie Travis Hunter

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without their “juice” for at least four games as rookie two-way star Travis Hunter suffered a non-contact knee injury during practice and was sent to the injured reserve list.

Hunter, who was coming off his best game as a professional, will be sidelined until the Nov. 30 game against the Tennessee Titans at the earliest. It’s a big blow to the Jaguars, who were likely to lean heavily on Hunter’s pass catching ability coming out of the bye week.

His defensive ability also would’ve been key as the Jaguars try to solidify their secondary after injuries and trades have shuffled the deck a bit on that side of the ball.

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But even beyond his on-field impact, Hunter’s energy will be missed as the Jaguars cling to their barely above .500 record and look to make up ground in the postseason race.

“It’s really unfortunate, sh–, for our team,” captain Jourdan Lewis said of Hunter’s injury. “It’s definitely a big blow, because he was that energetic force that we needed”

Jaguars’ players on both sides of the ball react to Travis Hunter’s knee injury Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) talks with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) as wide receiver Dyami Brown (5) looks on after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) talks with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) as wide receiver Dyami Brown (5) looks on after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Hunter’s known for his infectious personality around the building.

From the moment he arrived in Jacksonville when he tossed a football back and forth with head coach Liam Coen in the hallways of the Miller Electric Center, to his pre-game dancing as the team is warming up, he’s himself through and through.

His production will be missed, sure. But his personality is the thing that teammates will most likely miss the most.

“Oh, man, it hurts just because of the relationship that we have. It’s like a little brother to me,” wide receiver Dyami Brown said in the locker room. “I’m praying for him. I told him, ‘Whatever you need, if you need to talk or anything, just come holler at me.’”

Brown and Hunter were both brought in this offseason by Jacksonville’s front office — Brown in free agency and Hunter through the draft. They became very close in the receiver room with the pair joining several Jags players going to the Bahamas to train before the season started.

The unique thing about Hunter is his impact stretches to both sides of the ball. And that same energy he has for Jacksonville’s offense is the same energy the defense relies on.

“You lose the juice, man. When we got to have it, he was on the field and he was making things happen,” Lewis said of Hunter. “He was just getting to his own and it’s unfortunate, because he seemed like he was just catching on everything, and he was making plays.”

Hunter’s ascension with the Jaguars on both sides of the ball was on-schedule for what promised to be a standout rookie season. Hunter has played 489 total snaps this season. He played 324 on offense, 162 on defense and three on special teams.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) reacts to his carry during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

He’s recorded 298 yards on 28 catches through seven games with one touchdown. Defensively, he has 15 total tackles and three pass break ups. The numbers may not be eye-popping at first glance but the rise in production is noticeable, recording an eight catch game with 101 yards and a touchdown in his last outing.

“The energy that he brought for us, and really for the group, it allowed us to go out there and be ourselves,” Brown said. “But we can still go out there and be ourselves. He’s still with us, at the end of the day, because he’s going to support us just as much as we’re going to support him.”

Travis Hunter’s teammates are confident that he’ll be able to bounce back from injury to return to form Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) walks off the field with cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) walks off the field with cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Coen did not give a timeline for Hunter’s return and he did not elaborate on how serious the knee injury is.

The reality is, this might be an injury that derails Hunter’s rookie season and sidelines him until next year. Or this could be an injury where Hunter returns before the end of the season to give the Jaguars a needed boost as they jockey for postseason positioning.

Regardless, Hunter’s teammates are confident that he’ll shake back and be able to return to his prior form.

“I feel like anything that Travis does, he always keeps a positive mind,” Brown said after saying he’s talked with Hunter since the injury. “He never lets anything get to him. I think that right there, that just shows the character that he has.”

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) reacts to his reception with wide receiver Dyami Brown (5) during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Coen echoed similar thoughts earlier in the day, saying Hunter was facing a “minor setback for a major comeback” and saying Hunter was in good spirits.

It isn’t surprising that Hunter would have a good mindset about recovering from the injury and moving forward. Especially to those who’ve shared a field with the talented player.

“The same thing that makes him the guy he is, that can play both sides of the ball and be dynamic, will be the same thing that’s gonna get him through this,” Lewis said. “His mental fortitude is second to none. And if anybody can overcome this and become better, I think it’d be him.”

Jaguars move forward without Travis Hunter on both sides of the ball, how will they perform vs. Raiders? Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) smiles with wide receiver Dyami Brown (5) during the 10th organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) smiles with wide receiver Dyami Brown (5) during the 10th organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Hunter was referred to as a math or number changer in relation to roster building. He’s a player who fills two spots, so he allowed the Jaguars to be flexible at cornerback and receiver.

The team is built to sustain his injury on the defensive side of the ball. They’ll turn to Montaric “Buster” Brown, who the coaching staff has spoken highly of, and newcomer Greg Newsome to fill the void.

Newsome was traded from the Browns less than a month ago and was playing catchup before the bye week as he tried to learn a new scheme on the fly. Brown missed the entire training camp after a lower body injury and was being eased into game action.

“To have guys to come in and make plays and keep fighting how they have, I would love to see what they look like on a full week of preparation,” Lewis said referencing how disjointed the secondary has been. According to Lewis, both players were making plays in practice and he’s excited to see how they perform moving forward.

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II (6) gets the team excited before the start of the game against the Seattle Seahawks in an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

Offense is the place Hunter will likely be missed the most. He’s the team’s leader in catches and has the second-most receiving yards on the team.

Most importantly, he was the most reliable pass catchers in “need it” situations. The Jaguars will have to pivot to Brown, Parker Washington and former first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr., who is having a down second season.

But the confidence level is there from Brown about what he and the other Jaguars will be able to do in Hunter’s absence.

“We just have to step up and do the things that we need to do. We have to go out there and execute,” he said. “Still locked in on the other details and go out there, perform the way we need to, to be able to get a win.”

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars react to Travis Hunter’s injury, ‘energetic’ rookie sent to IR

Jacksonville Jaguars’ locker room reacts to losing ‘energetic’ rookie Travis Hunter

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