Jaguars offense also had fourth quarter to forget in loss at Houston
Yes, the Jaguars’ defense collapsed Sunday at Houston, but the offense didn’t do anything well, either, sports columnist Ryan O’Halloran says.
Jacksonville Jaguars two-way rookie Travis Hunter’s season is officially over. Hunter had successful surgery to repair his lateral collateral ligament on Nov. 11, the team announced.
He suffered a non-contact injury to his knee in practice on Oct. 30 and was placed on the injured reserve list one day later. His window to return could’ve opened at the end of the month after missing the mandated four games, but he’ll be sidelined for the remainder of his rookie season as he recovers from the procedure.
“It’s really unfortunate, sh–, for our team,” captain Jourdan Lewis said of Hunter’s injury when the rookie was placed on injured reserve. “It’s definitely a big blow, because he was that energetic force that we needed.”
Hunter’s injury will obviously have dual consequences for the Jaguars as he was a contributor on offense and defense. The team already made additions to both positions via trade, adding wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and cornerback Greg Newsome before the deadline.
Still, it’s a gut punch to lose Hunter as he was ascending on both sides of the ball as he got more acclimated to the NFL.
“You got to believe his mental, the makeup, his general attitude towards life and how he handles dealing with specific situations,” head coach Liam Coen said of Hunter when he was placed on IR. “I have a lot of belief in Travis as a person, as a competitor, to come back better than ever.”
Is Travis Hunter out for the rest of the season?
Yes, Travis Hunter’s season is over after having a procedure to repair an LCL injury he sustained during practice. He had a successful surgery and has a recovery timeline of six months, per the team.
What are Travis Hunter’s total season snaps?
Hunter had 324 offensive snaps, 162 on defense, and three on special teams for a total of 489 plays. He averaged 46.2 offensive plays, 23.1 defensive plays and 69.8 plays overall per game.
What are Travis Hunter’s snaps this season?
Hunter finished his rookie season with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown on offense.
On defense, Hunter had 11 tackles, four assists and three passes broken up.
What was his best game this season?
Hunter’s final game of his rookie season was the best performance he had this year. He recorded eight catches for 101 receiving yards and scored his first professional touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in London during Week 7.
Travis Hunter’s rookie season highlights
The Jaguars will have to lean on their other pass catchers moving forward. The group is headlined by second-year receiver Brian Thomas Jr. They also have the previously mentioned Meyers who debuted against the Texans with three catches for 41 yards.
The rest of the receiver room consists of Parker Washington, Dyami Brown and Austin Trammell.
Who are the other cornerbacks for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The Jaguars are more bolstered to withstand Hunter’s absence on defense. They have Greg Newsome and Buster Brown as their top outside corners with Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones manning the nickel position.
They also have Christian Braswell as a reserve player who can be called into action if needed.
What is Travis Hunter’s injury timeline?
Hunter sustained the non-contact injury to his knee on Oct. 30 and was placed on the injured reserve list on Oct. 31.
He had season-ending surgery on Nov. 11 and will be out for six months, putting him back in action near the start of the team’s Organized Team Activities period of the offseason in May.