Travis Hunter, who was selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, received devastating news on Tuesday: his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars has come to an end due to a season-ending knee injury.
The news came after the ex-Colorado star underwent an LCL repair surgery that revealed that he wouldn’t be able to indulge in football activities for the next 6 months.
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Oct 12, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) reacts after a play during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images
After the news broke, analyst Jason Whitlock took X to share his thoughts on the situation and blamed Deion Sanders for Hunter’s season-ending injury, indicating that Coach Prime used Hunter too much on both sides of the ball.
Injury is inevitable in football. The more snaps you play the more inevitable injury is.
Deion Sanders never once considered what was best for Travis Hunter. Never once.
Had Nick Saban treated Hunter as a rented mule, everyone would see this. https://t.co/XoAlulc2iu
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) November 11, 2025
“Injury is inevitable in football. The more snaps you play the more inevitable injury is. Deion Sanders never once considered what was best for Travis Hunter. Never once. Had Nick Saban treated Hunter as a rented mule, everyone would see this.” Whitlock said.
The ex-Colorado player was put on the injured reserve list on October 31 after suffering a noncontact injury during practice.
Emmanuel Acho also shared his thoughts on Hunter’s injury, weighed in on how hard the Jaguars rookie worked while he played at Colorado, and said it felt like playing five seasons in just two years.
“Think about the toll it took on him in college. Though he only played three seasons, you could say he really played five seasons. Because he played five seasons worth of snaps… By the time he got to Colorado, every season Travis Hunter was playing, was two seasons,” Acho said on Speakeasy.
Read more – “How Will He Pick His Wife Up From Parties Now”: NFL Fans React As Travis Hunter Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery After Knee Injury
Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen Offers Insight on Travis Hunter’s Two-Way Future
Hunter secured a total of 486 snaps in his rookie season, with 324 of those being on the offensive side of the ball. The ex-Colorado star played 67% of the downs on the offensive side and the rest 36% on the defensive side with 162 snaps.
The Jaguars’ rookie finished the season with 28 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown, along with 15 tackles and three pass defenses.
Talking about whether Hunter can still play on both sides in 2025, Liam Coen said that it is something that will be evaluated at the end of the season.
“Also looking at, ‘OK, where do we need him most, in more ways than others,’” Coen said. “The thing has been a learning experiment. But getting to know the person has obviously been the most important thing.”
Coen said getting to know Hunter has been the most important thing, the type of competitor he is, and the ways he learns and competes the best, which will be valuable information that will help their decision.
Read more – “Season’s Biggest Fraud”: NFL Fans Devastated as Jaguars’ Travis Hunter’s Football Journey Hits Major Roadblock
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