The Jacksonville Jaguars can’t seem to catch a break. Rookie WR Travis Hunter suffered a non-contact knee injury during Thursday’s practice before Week 9, just as he was emerging as a key piece of the offense before the bye, with his first 100-yard game.
The injury will keep the promising rookie WR and CB sidelined for at least four weeks, as he was placed on short-term injured reserve. Hunter’s coming off his best NFL performance in Week 8, in which he racked up 8 receptions for 101 yards and a TD against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 19.
Below, we'll give you the latest Travis Hunter injury update, discuss how long the Jaguars rookie WR might be out, plus give projections for Jaguars new WR Jakobi Meyers, who will help fill Hunter's void at slot WR.
Travis Hunter Injury Update: How Long Is the Jaguars Rookie WR Out?
Travis Hunter will be sidelined for quite some time — a serious blow to an AFC team that’s trying to keep the pace at 5-3 and fantasy owners looking to make the playoffs. Hunter will miss at least four weeks, through at least Week 13, but possible beyond.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Oct. 31 the Jaguars’ No. 2 pick is “going to be out a while.” Hunter suffered a non-contact knee injury during practice last Thursday. Initial testing revealed that his ACL is “intact,” but additional evaluations were needed to determine the full extent of the damage, per Schefter.
The Jaguars officially placed Hunter on injured reserve on Friday, meaning he will miss at least four games.
“First of all, Travis Hunter is somebody that doesn’t miss time,” Schefter said Monday on The Pat McAfee Show. “So when he goes down and he’s out for four weeks at minimum, that tells you it’s not great. My sense is it’s going to be beyond that.”
However, Schefter left the door open for Hunter to return later this season — if the Jaguars remain in the AFC playoff race.
“As long as Jacksonville stays alive, I think we could see Travis Hunter again later this season,” he said.
It was still encouraging to see Hunter’s role blossom on offense before the bye week. His talent has clearly translated to the NFL, and he looks comfortable enough in the Jaguars’ system to not miss a beat when he’s able to return.
Jaguars WR Depth Chart after Jakobi Meyers Trade
The Jaguars WR depth chart has been in flux this year, as Brian Thomas Jr. has not been him same 2024-self, and new acquisition Dyami Brown hasn't made the impact that was expected.
With Hunter now on short-term IR, head coach Liam Coen made a trade to get a veteran pass-catcher from a team that's dead in the water — Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers.
After the Meyers trade, here's how the Jaguars WRs stand without Travis Hunter in the mix.
Current Jaguars WR Depth Chart after Jakobi Meyers trade:
- WR1: Brian Thomas Jr.
- WR2: Jakobi Meyers (slot)
- WR3: Parker Washington
- WR4: Dyami Brown
- WR5: Tim Jones
- WR6: Tim Patrick
Jaguars WRs Fantasy Football Outlook
Jacksonville will now have to adjust without its rookie slot receiver in the lineup. Hunter led the offense in Week 8, with 13 targets, though it was a pass-happy game down 3 TDs at half.
With Hunter sidelined, Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington could continue to operate as the top two options in the passing game. Thomas leads the Jaguars in receptions (30), receiving yards (420) and yards per game (52.5). He has just 1 TD on the year, but that could change with more of Hunter’s targets coming his way.
The Jaguars also made a move to get sure-handed WR Jakobi Meyers, who has 352 yards but no TDs this season. Most importantly, Meyers has played primarily in the slot WR role for the Raiders this season (60.6% of snaps), which makes him a close 1-to-1 replacement for Hunter, who has played nearly two-thirds of his snaps in the slot.
Meyers has actually been slightly better from the slot than Hunter in 2025, averaging 1.52 yards per route run from the slot, per PFF, while Hunter is as 1.47.
The Jaguars face the Houston Texans in Week 10, a defensive juggernaut. The Texans defense has allowed just 183.0 receiving yards per game over their last two appearances. They are No. 1 in pass EPA allowed, per Sumer Sports, making this a tough week to target any of these Jaguars pass catchers — likely should be avoided.
Instead, look for how Meyers is used this week, and potentially target him in future games that Hunter will miss. We should see a steady increase in usage from Thomas, while Meyers slots into an important WR2 role.
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