Travis Hunter Jr. Back At Practice for Jaguars

Travis Hunter Jr. missed the Jacksonville Jaguars' second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints with injury.

Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) watches from the sidelines during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars got a lot of encouraging signs for Head Coach Liam Coen to build on in their second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints. They were unable to come away with a win, having to settle for a 17-17 tie, but there were quite a few positives to take away from the afternoon, especially for the first-team offense.

Unfortunately, Travis Hunter Jr. was unable to suit up alongside the Jaguars' starters. He missed Jacksonville's final practice in training camp last week ahead of their clash against the Saints. Coen called it a precautionary measure for an upper-body injury, and he held his second-overall pick out of the Jags' game versus New Orleans, too.

Thankfully, Hunter Jr. was able to return to practice on Tuesday, August 19. He was able to participate in individual and some team drills, although they weren't wearing pads. All indications suggest that he should be available for Jacksonville's last preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.

Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick Travis Hunter (with uniform No. 12) poses with team management after his first news conference on April 25 at the Miller Electric Center. From the left are team executive vice-president for football operations Tony Boselli, hunter, coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone. | Garry Smits/The Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Travis Hunter Jr. set for a huge role for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025 NFL season

The Jacksonville Jaguars have high hopes for Travis Hunter Jr. They invested heavily in order to acquire him in the 2025 NFL Draft. They traded up from pick five to two, dealing away their first-round pick in 2026 and the 36th-overall selection this year to get it done. The move also saw the two teams swap their fourth-rounders and Jacksonville net Cleveland's no. 200 pick from this past draft.

For the Jaguars, it'll all be worth it if Travis Hunter Jr. can accomplish what he's setting out to do in the NFL. Not only did they select him to give quarterback Trevor Lawrence another elite weapon opposite Brian Thomas Jr., but Hunter Jr. should provide some significant value on defense as well.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) looks on during an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Friday Aug. 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Head Coach Liam Coen has stated that he intends to deploy his new first-round rookie on 80 percent of all snaps in the 2025 NFL season. Many have doubted Hunter Jr.'s ability to play at what's expected to be a league-record pace while withstanding the physicality of the professional level.

So far, he and the Jaguars aren't backing down. In the team's first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hunter Jr. saw action at both wide receiver and cornerback. However, he only played 18 snaps in the exhibition. He'll have to appear a lot more in their season opener against the Carolina Panthers to meet Coen's 80 percent goal. It'll all start with getting fully healthy again, though.

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