JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ plan for Travis Hunter will be the same in 2026 as it was in 2025: He’s going to play on both sides of the ball.
General manager James Gladstone, speaking at an end-of-season news conference, said the team was encouraged with the progress Hunter made before his season-ending knee injury and is eager to see the progress he’ll make in 2026.
“We still expect him to play on both sides of the ball,” Gladstone said Wednesday morning. “… The steps that he was taking by the midpoint of the season really made us feel good about what the back half of the year was going to be on both sides of the ball and what that impact was going to look like being a feature point on offense and an impact player on defense.
“It [the injury] was just disappointing timing but nonetheless feel good about where we are heading into this offseason and what next year should hold.”
The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner finished his rookie season with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown and 15 tackles and three pass breakups. He played 67% of the team’s offensive snaps and 36% of the defensive snaps prior to the noncontact knee injury he suffered in practice on Oct. 30.
The Jaguars had decided to run the pass game through Hunter before their Oct. 19 game against the Los Angeles Rams in London, partly because of his skills and playmaking ability but also because of Brian Thomas Jr.’s struggles (five drops). Hunter caught eight passes for 104 yards and a touchdown during the 35-7 loss.
“With Travis having gotten to a place midseason where you felt like he was starting to peak and really make a real dent, and the plan for post-bye was to continue to enhance that, [it was] tough not to be able to see that come to life down the backstretch,” Gladstone said.
The Jaguars traded for receiver Jakobi Meyers at the Nov. 4 trade deadline, sending the Las Vegas Raiders fourth- and sixth-round selection in the 2026 draft. The Jaguars signed Meyers to a three-year, $60 million contract extension on Dec. 18.
Hunter has been rehabbing since undergoing surgery on Nov. 11 to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. The team previously said Hunter was expected to return to full football activities within six months, which would allow him to be back on the field during OTAs in May.
“For him right now it’s about getting his rehab right and diving in mentally because of some of the limitations we’ll have throughout the offseason program,” head coach Liam Coen said. “But I’m really excited about getting back to work with Travis and continue that evolution and see what that looks like.”
The Jaguars traded four draft picks — including a first-rounder in 2026 — to Cleveland to move up three spots to select Hunter second overall. The Jaguars also gave the Browns the No. 5 pick, a second-round pick and a fourth-round selection in the 2025 draft.
The Jaguars also received fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2025 draft.
