The Jacksonville Jaguars made the transfer in Week 7 to run the offense by rookie two-way risk Travis Hunter — and it introduced out the perfect in him. He set season highs in catches (eight) and receiving yards (104) and caught his first landing go whereas the remainder of the offense was stagnant within the Jags' 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
After the Jaguars acquired again from their Week 8 bye, they deliberate to show Hunter unfastened on offense once more. However he suffered a noncontact lateral collateral ligament harm to his proper knee throughout an Oct. 30 observe, derailing that plan. The Jaguars introduced that Hunter's season is over after he underwent surgical procedure Tuesday.
The No. 2 decide within the 2025 NFL draft completed his rookie season with 28 catches for 298 yards and a landing. On protection, he had 15 tackles and three go breakups. He performed 67% of the crew's offensive snaps and 36% of the defensive snaps till his harm.
The Jaguars (5-4) nonetheless have to determine life with out him, particularly if they will stay in playoff competition over their ultimate eight video games (in keeping with ESPN's Soccer Energy Index, they've a 40% likelihood of constructing the playoffs).
ESPN Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco and senior author and harm analyst Stephania Bell weigh in on the harm and the way Hunter's loss impacts the Jaguars now and probably in 2026.
What's an LCL harm? What is the regular restoration time?
The LCL is without doubt one of the 4 major stabilizing ligaments of the knee, together with the medial collateral ligament, and the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. The LCL runs from the lateral femur (thigh bone) to the top of the fibula (the lengthy bone on the outer aspect of the decrease leg) and helps defend in opposition to forces that might bow the leg outward.
LCL accidents could be the results of a blow to the knee on the interior (medial) aspect that creates a varus stress. It's far much less widespread to have a noncontact LCL harm, however an ungainly step or planting of the foot can lead to a big varus or varus-hyperextension drive, stressing the lateral and posterolateral space of the knee.
Forces giant sufficient to fully tear the LCL usually end in further injury to different adjoining buildings such because the lateral hamstring, the lateral meniscus, the posterior capsule and different ligaments/tendons. An remoted LCL tear is comparatively uncommon however finally much less complicated in terms of surgical procedure and restoration than an harm involving a number of buildings.
Any ligament harm is assessed as a sprain and could be graded 1 (gentle), 2 (reasonable) or 3 (extreme). A Grade 3 harm signifies an entire tear of the ligament. Grading displays tissue injury and joint laxity on stress testing, particularly varus (bowing of the knee) stress, with an entire tear leading to important instability on the lateral side of the knee. Delicate to reasonable sprains are usually handled conservatively with bodily remedy, with restoration starting from two to eight weeks. Extra important accidents with persistent instability could require surgical procedure, with a projected restoration of roughly six months.
Comparisons for LCL harm/surgical procedure are comparatively few and, of these, most are extra complicated than an remoted tear. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs vast receiver Rashee Rice suffered a contact harm in October 2024 that resulted in surgical procedure to handle the LCL whereas additionally repairing a hamstring tendon. Rice returned to play in October 2025. (Word: Rice might have began within the season opener however was serving a six-game suspension.)
Cowboys working again Javonte Williams suffered an ACL/LCL and full posterolateral nook harm that required reconstructive surgical procedure in 2022 whereas with the Denver Broncos. He returned to start out the season in 2023 however struggled to match his pre-injury efficiency. His type has lastly returned in 2025, his first yr with the Cowboys.
Enjoyable truth: Dr. Dan Cooper, the top crew doctor for the Cowboys, carried out the surgical procedures on Williams, Rice and now Hunter. Within the case of Hunter, Dr. Kevin Kaplan, the top crew doctor for the Jaguars, additionally assisted with the surgical procedure. — Bell
Are there any long-term ramifications of the harm?
There actually should not be on this case provided that it was an remoted LCL tear for Hunter. If there actually was no different ligamentous, meniscus or cartilage injury, then the rehabilitation course of is pretty simple. The offseason will permit Hunter loads of time for the tissue restore to heal and to progress his bodily conditioning, and he must be able to take part at some stage in organized crew actions. — Bell
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Might Hunter's workload have contributed to the harm?
The Jaguars spoke with a number of folks on the College of Colorado (the place Hunter was a star two-way participant) to learn how they managed his workload they usually collaborated with their coaching, gear, vitamin and sports activities science staffs to place collectively a schedule to permit Hunter to work on either side of the ball. They made positive they stayed versatile, although, and adjusted issues as camp progressed, so they're assured that his workload didn't contribute to the harm. In reality, these contained in the Jaguars' constructing view it as a freak harm. It was noncontact, which might generally strike out of the blue. It occurred when he planted his proper leg whereas in protection on a defensive drill.
Hunter wasn't a full-time participant on both aspect of the ball — he performed 67% of the crew's offensive snaps and 36% of the defensive snaps till his harm — and the variety of reps and the physicality of observe are considerably much less throughout in-season practices than in coaching camp, so he wasn't carrying a ridiculous bodily workload.
The Jaguars have misplaced a excessive draft decide to the same noncontact harm earlier than. Defensive finish Dante Fowler Jr., the No. 3 decide in 2015, suffered a torn left ACL lower than an hour into the primary day of rookie minicamp. — DiRocco
Will this harm change how the Jaguars use Hunter in 2026?
The Jaguars drafted Hunter to be the league's first common two-way participant, and common supervisor James Gladstone referred to as him somebody who might “alter the trajectory of the game.”
As a result of there isn't any further injury to the knee and the crew considers it a freak harm, its plan for Hunter probably will not change.
What might change is on which aspect of the ball he spends extra time.
Hunter is considered a participant with elite cornerback abilities, however he spent extra time on offense as a result of studying to change into an NFL receiver and selecting up coach Liam Coen's complicated offense would take extra time. And that is additionally the place the Jaguars wanted him extra; there was higher depth at cornerback.
Hunter had moved into the No. 1 receiver position previous to his harm, and relying on what the crew does within the offseason, he is prone to be WR1 subsequent season, too, however that will not preserve him off the sphere on protection. He primarily performed as an out of doors nook when the crew performed nickel protection, but when the Jaguars do not re-sign Greg Newsome II, that might clear the best way for Hunter to be a starter reverse Jourdan Lewis. That might probably knock down some reps on offense, particularly if he's an elite nook. — DiRocco
How does Hunter's harm impression the offense?
Hunter is the crew's finest playmaker with the ball in his arms. That is a giant position to switch. Within the first seven video games with Hunter, the Jaguars averaged 334.9 complete yards per recreation and 215.1 yards per recreation passing. Within the two video games with out Hunter within the lineup, the Jaguars' manufacturing dipped to 290 (complete) and 167.5 (passing). Apparently, the factors per recreation are up (26 vs. 19) as is their third-down conversion proportion (48.1% vs. 33%).
Whereas the addition of receiver Jakobi Meyers (by way of a commerce with Las Vegas) helps, Meyers is called a sure-handed receiver and never a stretch-the-field man (he averages 11.9 yards per catch over his profession). That can assist, for the reason that Jaguars lead the NFL with 20 drops.
Final yr's first-round decide, Brian Thomas Jr., who missed final week's recreation with an ankle harm, goes to need to step up and play like he did as a rookie, when he completed third within the NFL in receiving yards behind Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Parker Washington goes to need to change into extra concerned than he was earlier than, too. Dyami Brown, whom the crew signed to a one-year, $10 million deal, has been disappointing, and his position has decreased. So gamers like Tim Patrick, Tim Jones and Austin Trammell will get extra enjoying time.
There may be some excellent news for the offense, although: Tight finish Brenton Unusual's 21-day observe window opens Wednesday, and he might play on Sunday. He is a key blocker within the run recreation, but additionally a security valve for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and somebody who can work the center of the sphere. Anticipate a good increased dose of working again Travis Etienne Jr. within the go recreation, too. — DiRocco
