A disappointing rookie season has officially come to an end for Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Hunter, and many fans seem to believe the team is partially responsible for that.
Hunter suffered a knee injury during practice ahead of Week 9. He was placed on injured reserve and initially expected to play again in 2025, but his year is now over. The Jaguars announced on Tuesday that Hunter underwent surgery to repair the LCL in his right knee. Hunter is expected to be cleared for full football activities in six months.
As promised, Hunter had been playing both wide receiver and cornerback through the first seven games of the season. Fans are convinced that took a toll on the reigning Heisman Trophy winner’s body and contributed to his injury.
Lets hope the Jags are smart and put him at one position and let him master it for his long-term benefit.
— TheGreyManes (@TheGreyManes) November 11, 2025
He never should’ve been playing both ways in the NFL
— Mimionthis 🔺 (@mimicute01) November 11, 2025
“Loved the experiment, but the league’s too brutal for two-way stars. The body can’t take 100+ snaps a week. Jaguars got greedy.”
Workload was too much.
— TheGamelineGuru (@Gamelineguru) November 11, 2025
Shocking..who would have thought the skinny kid playing both sides of the ball would have a season ending knee injury?
— Alex Kaplan (@AQKap0) November 11, 2025
Bro couldn’t even make it one season as a two-way player. What a horrendous trade for the Jags
— Seattle Sports Fan GZ (@SeattleFanGZ) November 11, 2025
Hunter is talented enough to excel at both wide receiver and cornerback. He proved that in college at Colorado. The big question was whether he would be able to sustain that workload in the NFL, which is much more demanding and physical. There is no way to know if the knee injury was the result of Hunter playing so many snaps, but fans are drawing their own conclusions.
Even an All-Pro wide receiver expressed doubt about whether Hunter would be able to remain healthy while playing both ways. Travis Kelce said he thought opponents would try to wear Hunter out and make his life miserable.
Hunter caught 8 passes for 101 yards and his first career touchdown during Jacksonville’s 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 19. That wound up being the final game of his rookie season. It would not be a surprise if the Jaguars have Hunter focus on playing one position in 2026.
