Injuries are an inherent part of a collision sport like football. But that didn't prepare the Jacksonville Jaguars to lose Travis Hunter in his rookie campaign after he underwent knee surgery. When they placed him on injured reserve, it seemed like they were going to get him at some point of the regular season, ideally in the midst of a playoff push. However, he ended up getting surgery on his knee and is now out for the year.
The silver lining is that Hunter should return stronger than ever in 2026. But the time being, the show must go on, and the Jags must turn to the next man up. In this case, it's Brian Thomas Jr., the electrifying receiver who took the league by storm last year but has left much to be desired this season. But despite his struggles, Jacksonville needs him more than ever.
With Travis Hunter out, the Jaguars will have to lean on Brian Thomas Jr.
After racking up 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie, Brian Thomas Jr. got off to a slow start to his sophomore campaign. In eight games, he caught 30 passes for 420 yards with one touchdown and is on pace to finish with less than 1,000 yards this season. That would be a significant dropoff, and that's only the beginning.
Thomas leads the NFL with nine drops and has a measly catch rate of 50.0 percent. When you add it all up, it's fair to call his second season a disappointment. The former LSU Tiger missed the collapse against the Houston Texans with an ankle sprain. There was hope that he would suit up, but he had an uphill battle after missing every single day of practice ahead of the game. In fact, there's a chance No. 7 will also miss the Los Angeles Chargers bout.
Either way, the Jaguars need Thomas to return as soon as possible after the Travis Hunter injury update.
Related: 3 Jaguars players whose stock is plummeting after the collapse vs. the Texans
The Jaguars need Brian Thomas Jr. to step up in Travis Hunter's absence
The Jaguars leaned on Parker Washington and the recently traded Jakobi Meyers during the loss to the Houston Texans. Tim Patrick and Dyami Brown also got snaps at receiver, but both ended the game without a catch. Tim Jones and Austin Trammell are also in the mix, but they are better suited for reserve roles.
If Brian Thomas Jr. misses the Los Angeles Chargers game, Washington and Meyers will once again be the top receivers. But once he's back, Thomas will need to step up and become the de facto No. 1. Jacksonville could most definitely use his big-play capability, and he's already shown that he can take over games as a rookie.
If Brian Thomas Jr. does manage to turn things around in the second half of the season, he, along with Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington, could lessen the impact of Travis Hunter's season-ending injury. That's why it's not an overstatement to say the Jaguars need him to put it all together.