It would seem the news couldn't get any worse for fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars after Sunday's humiliating loss. But, of course, it's the Jags, so — surprise!! — more bad news is already on the way, and it involves one of the sole bright spots on this year's team.
Travis Hunter has been a force to be reckoned with all season, until he suffered a knee injury during practice that placed him on injured reserve. Initially, there was some hope that he could return later in the season, but that has just come to a screeching halt, too.
The Jaguars announced that Hunter had to undergo surgery on his knee, which officially puts an end to his rookie season. And no, it's not because he's a two-way player; come on. While this is obviously devastating news for the Jaguars' playoff hopes, as Hunter was one of their most explosive and dynamic players, it also raises serious questions about what will happen at wide receiver now.
Travis Hunter’s injury leaves the Jacksonville Jaguars scrambling to reinforce the WR
Almost immediately, the news of Hunter's season-ending surgery has sent Jacksonville into a tailspin. Liam Coen says that it's too early to tell if his two-way career is over, but for some odd reason, the actual problem isn't being discussed nearly enough: what the heck does he plan to do at the wide receiver position?
While they may not be as brilliant as Hunter has been so far, the Jaguars have depth at cornerback. But at wide receiver? Not only is there a scary lack of depth, the receivers Jacksonville has on the roster have also struggled this season, to say the least.
The good news is the Jaguars just got Jakobi Meyers, which will help, and Parker Washington is peaking at the right time. But Brian Thomas Jr., the star rookie from last season, has been a mess this year. The question becomes, can Jacksonville really rely on him to be the No. 1 receiver with Hunter permanently out?
It may be time for Jacksonville to begin considering signing a free agent to get through the rest of this season, and then restructuring the unit in 2026. Diontae Johnson and Odell Beckham are both available, and while neither is the long-term answer for the position, they could help get the Jaguars through the rest of 2025.
In the meantime, however, James Gladstone needs to be strongly considering how to bolster his wide receiver room in 2026, because it has been a mess this season. From constant drops to injuries, it's been near-impossible to have much success on the offense. It doesn't matter how good or bad Trevor Lawrence is if his best receivers are injured and the ones left can't hold onto the ball.
The Jaguars need more depth here, urgently. It made sense when Gladstone originally purged the roster, but that decision is looking somewhat questionable now.