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Jacksonville Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter.
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he NFL offseason is in full swing. With the Seattle Seahawks winning Super Bowl LX to cap off an eventful 2025 campaign, all 32 teams are in roster building mode, eager to be the ones to hoist the Lombardi Trophy next year. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, a promising 13-4 campaign ended on a sour note when they lost in the wild card round to the Buffalo Bills. Looking ahead to the ’26 season, the Jaguars are ready to build off of their success and prove that they have what it takes to win it all.
But in order for the Jaguars to do that, they will need everyone already on the roster to step up– including some of the young guys that they invested so much in. For incoming second year star, Travis Hunter, he will look to regain his footing after missing most of his rookie year with a knee injury. Luckily for the Jaguars, the latest update suggests that they will get their star two-way player back at full strength by the time fall rolls around.
Liam Coen Provides an Update on Hunter
Hunter injured his knee in practice leading up the Jaguars’ week 9 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders and was ruled out for the rest of the year with a torn LCL. But before the injury, Hunter struggled to really get going, finishing with 298 receiving yards and a only one touchdown on offense and 15 total tackles and three passed defended on defense– having a limited impact on both sides of the ball. But head coach Liam Coen spoke with CBS Sports’ Pete Frisco during Super Bowl week and said that Hunter is progressing very well from the injury, and the team is looking forward to having him back and continuing his development.
“First and foremost, Travis looks great right now,” Coen said. “I actually was in the weight room working out last week, saw him bouncing around, bouncing through. Looks great. Walking around. He’s excited. This was a minor setback for a major comeback, and he’s extremely mentally tough. He’s resilient. He’s never had a major injury like this in his career, but he’s attacked it the right way.”
Since Hunter’s injury and the end of the season, both Coen and general manager, James Gladstone, have emphasized that the plan is still for Hunter to play both ways. But given how he is coming back from a major knee injury, and wanting to prevent their young star from being overused, Hunter’s practice and playing schedule is still TBD.
Could Hunter End Up Specializing?
Hunter is elite on both sides of the ball, winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy for his strong season at both cornerback and wide receiver for Colorado. But the NFL is a different beast and while Hunter himself also said he wants to be a two-way player, the rigors of the league may force him to pick a side of the ball to focus on in the long run. And while the Jaguars will continue to adjust Hunter’s practice schedule based on team needs, the current makeup of the roster suggests that there may be a greater need for Hunter to play cornerback as opposed to wide receiver. Aside from Hunter, the only other cornerbacks currently under contract for the Jaguars are Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis and Caleb Ransaw.
“We’re going to continue to be able to evaluate,” Coen said. “Alright, what does the schedule look like? Where do we need him more in on this day or as a team and we’ll continue to be fluid with that. But I’m excited about adding Travis back into the fold, getting him back in because when you’re hurt like that, nothing hurts you more as a player.”
Dylan Grausz A lifelong sports fan, Dylan channels his passion for sports into being a journalist, where his primary goal is to provide readers with content that they love to read. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Dylan’s love for the Warriors, 49ers and Giants runs deep, having the ultimate dream of being a beat reporter for one of those teams. More about Dylan Grausz
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