Travis Hunter’s First NFL Setback: What This Upper-Body Injury Really Means
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ golden boy, Travis Hunter, has hit his first speed bump in the NFL. It was bound to happen eventually. The dual-threat sensation who took the college football world by storm is now dealing with what Head Coach Liam Coen diplomatically calls an “upper-body deal.”
Anyone who watched Hunter dominate both sides of the ball at Colorado knew this day would come. Not because he is fragile or anything, but because playing two demanding NFL positions is like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle. Eventually, something’s going to give.
Hunter’s Preseason Performance Before the Injury
Before we dive into the doom and gloom, let’s talk about what Hunter actually accomplished in his limited action during the Jaguars’ first preseason game. The man logged 10 offensive snaps and eight defensive snaps, which sounds impressive until you realize that is barely a taste of what he’ll face during the regular season.
On offense, Hunter managed two catches for nine yards on two targets. The real test was always going to be on the defensive side, where he took eight snaps at cornerback and wasn’t even targeted. That could mean one of two things: either opposing quarterbacks were too scared to test him, or they simply didn’t get the chance. Given that it is preseason and most teams are running vanilla schemes, I am leaning toward the latter.
The Reality Check Nobody Wants to Hear
Hunter’s upper-body injury, which sounds about as specific as saying someone has a “leg problem”, is being treated with kid gloves by the Jaguars coaching staff. Coach Coen mentioned it is precautionary, but let’s think about this logically for a second.
If you are paying a guy second-overall-pick money to play two positions, and he is already getting banged up in preseason, what does that tell you about the sustainability of this experiment? It is not like Hunter is some genetic freak who defies the laws of physics and human anatomy. He is a supremely talented athlete, sure, but he is still human.
The fact that the team is being so cautious about what they are calling a minor injury should tell us everything we need to know about how valuable, and potentially fragile, this two-way experiment really is.
What the Critics Are Saying
Remember when everyone was gushing over Hunter’s college success and assuming it would translate seamlessly to the NFL? Well, Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver Davante Adams threw some cold water on that parade, and honestly, his comments made a bunch of sense.
Adams didn’t mince words when he said, “I don’t think it’s possible to do for real. Not at a high level.” And before all the Hunter fanboys start crying about “haters,” maybe consider that Adams might actually know what he is talking about. The man has been playing elite-level football for years and understands the physical and mental demands better than most.
Playing receiver in the NFL means getting your bell rung by safeties coming downhill. Playing cornerback means covering some of the fastest, most agile athletes on the planet. Doing both? That is asking for trouble, and this early injury might just be the first sign of things to come.
The Jaguars’ Dilemma Moving Forward
So where does this leave Jacksonville? They made a massive investment in a player who is already showing signs of wear and tear, and we have not even hit Week 1 yet. The coaching staff is walking on eggshells, treating Hunter like he is made of spun glass.
The smart money says they will probably limit his snaps this weekend against the Saints, assuming he even plays at all. And honestly? That might be the best-case scenario. Better to have a healthy Hunter playing 60% of snaps than an injured one riding the bench for half the season.
But here’s the thing that nobody wants to talk about: what happens when teams start specifically targeting Hunter’s two-way role? You think opposing offensive coordinators aren’t watching film and figuring out when he is tired from playing defense? You think defensive coordinators are not going to test him when he is winded from running routes?
The Bigger Picture For Hunter’s Career
This injury, minor as it might be, represents something bigger than just a guy missing a few practices. It is a reality check for everyone who thought the two-way experiment would be smooth sailing in the NFL. College football and the pros are different animals entirely, and what works on Saturdays doesn’t always translate to Sundays.
Hunter’s got the talent to succeed at either position, but trying to excel at both while staying healthy is looking more and more like a pipe dream with each passing day. The human body wasn’t designed to handle that kind of workload at this level, and no amount of wishful thinking is going to change that biological reality.
The Jaguars are playing with fire here, and this early injury should serve as a warning shot. They have a generational talent on their hands, but if they are not careful about how they use him, they might end up with a cautionary tale instead of a success story. Time will tell whether Hunter can prove the doubters wrong, but right now, the early returns aren’t exactly inspiring confidence. Sometimes the most obvious concerns turn out to be the most valid ones.
