What Travis Hunter's Injury Timeline Means for Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting closer and closer to having Travis Hunter back on the field.

Hunter, the No. 2 pick in last year's draft after a massive trade-up from the Jaguars, appeared in only seven games as a rookie due to a knee injury. And while it does not appear he has been given the full green light to this point, Jaguars general manager James Gladstone did help set a timeline for Hunter's return on Thursday.

Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone talked about the upcoming NFL Draft during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ annual pre-draft luncheon press conference in the media room at the Miller Electric Center Thursday April 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Yeah, for all intents and purpose, he'll be a limited participant through the offseason program with eyes on return to play at full tick in training camp," Gladstone said.

So now that we, for the first time, have a real timeline of Hunter's recovery to go by, what do we make of it and what it means for the Jaguars?

What It Means

travis hunte — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) walks on the field before an NFL football matchup, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Seahawks defeated the Jaguars 20-12. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Simply put, this is fantastic news for the Jaguars. Getting Hunter back in time for training camp should have always been objective No. 1, especially since he is slotted to see more time at cornerback this year. He is a natural cornerback who logged a ton of collegiate reps there, so there should be less of a transition for him.

Hunter was a true two-way player last year, doing things in seven games that few players have done. He was the first player since passes defensed were tracked in 1999 to record 250-plus receiving yards and multiple passes defensed (three) in a season

Now that Hunter is set to return much sooner than later, the Jaguars can prepare for his full return and onboarding later this summer instead of pushing Hunter too much this offseason. It will likely be more important for Hunter to soak up the mental reps during the offseason process, and it is clear the Jaguars are not set to rush him back.

That does mean we will quickly see what the Jaguars' cornerback depth outside of Hunter looks like. Montaric Brown, Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis, and Christian Braswell are all returning from a year ago. Players like Braswell and Keith Taylor could see increased reps with Hunter not set to be a full-time offseason participant.

Hunter's official return to being 100% is coming, but it is clear by the timeline that the Jaguars do not feel the pressure to rush him back. Hunter will play a big role for the Jaguars this year, and now we know when that will exactly happen.