Travis Hunter's season is officially over.
The No. 2 overall pick underwent season-ending knee surgery to repair his LCL, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday, per sources informed of the procedure.
There was no additional damage to the injured knee, and Hunter is expected to return to football activities within six months, Rapoport added.
The team later confirmed the news.
It's a disaster scenario for the Jags, who initially hoped that the knee injury suffered in practice two weeks ago would be a short-term issue. Hunter was placed on injured reserve, ruling him out for at least four contests. Instead, his rookie campaign is over after just seven games.
The Jaguars traded up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select the two-way Heisman Trophy winner, viewing him as a culture-altering talent under new coach Liam Coen. Jacksonville shipped its 2026 first-rounder to Cleveland as part of the deal to land Hunter.
In seven games, Hunter spent most of his time on offense, where he played 305 snaps, generating 28 catches on 45 targets for 298 yards with one touchdown. He played 156 defensive snaps, earning three pass breakups and 15 tackles.
Before the practice injury, Hunter was coming off the most prolific game of his rookie season, putting up 101 yards and a touchdown on eight catches in a Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
With hopes of a late-season return for Hunter dashed, the 5-4 Jags, who sit in the No. 7 seed in the AFC with Kansas City lurking, must count on production elsewhere.
Brian Thomas Jr. has struggled to get open the season and missed Week 10’s loss to Houston with an ankle injury. The trade-deadline move to acquire veteran Jakobi Meyers becomes more vital. Meyers led the Jags with 41 yards on three catches on Sunday. Parker Washington is also expected to continue playing a key role down the stretch.
