What Travis Hunter's season-ending injury means for Jaguars - ESPN

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the move in Week 7 to run the offense through rookie two-way threat Travis Hunter — and it brought out the best in him. He set season highs in catches (eight) and receiving yards (104) and caught his first touchdown pass while the rest of the offense was stagnant in the Jags' 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

After the Jaguars got back from their Week 8 bye, they planned to turn Hunter loose on offense again. But he suffered a noncontact lateral collateral ligament injury to his right knee during an Oct. 30 practice, derailing that plan. The Jaguars announced that Hunter's season is over after he underwent surgery Tuesday.

The No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL draft finished his rookie season with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he had 15 tackles and three pass breakups. He played 67% of the team's offensive snaps and 36% of the defensive snaps until his injury.

The Jaguars (5-4) still have to figure out life without him, especially if they are going to remain in playoff contention over their final eight games (according to ESPN's Football Power Index, they have a 40% chance of making the playoffs).

ESPN Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco and senior writer and injury analyst Stephania Bell weigh in on the injury and how Hunter's loss impacts the Jaguars now and potentially in 2026.

The LCL is one of the four primary stabilizing ligaments of the knee, along with the medial collateral ligament, and the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. The LCL runs from the lateral femur (thigh bone) to the head of the fibula (the long bone on the outer side of the lower leg) and helps protect against forces that would bow the leg outward.

LCL injuries can be the result of a blow to the