Travis Hunter Held Out of Jaguars Practice With Injury, Won't Play vs. Dolphins

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie sensation Travis Hunter will not play in the team's preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night.

According to ESPN's Michael DiRocco, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Hunter was held out of Thursday's joint practice with the Dolphins and won't play Saturday due to an upper-body injury.

Coen suggested that sitting Hunter is being done out of an abundance of caution rather than any real concern about the severity of the injury, saying:

"It was more just do we want him now or potentially not [playing against] Carolina [in Week 1]. It was more just being smart about the next few weeks because the ultimate goal is Carolina.

"Could he have probably gone? I think so. If this was Carolina, would he have probably played? Yeah, so we're moving in the right direction."

In April, the Jags traded up to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft to select Hunter after he won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado.

Hunter starred on both sides of the ball in college, excelling as both a wide receiver and cornerback. In 2024, he established himself as the best player in college football, recording 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 36 tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions.

There was some uncertainty regarding whether Hunter would be utilized as a two-way player in the NFL, but the Jaguars made it clear shortly after drafting him that they intended to let him play both wideout and corner.

After initially being worked in primarily at wide receiver when training camp began, Hunter was eventually given more cornerback reps in practice as well, and that carried over to the team's preseason opener as well.

In a 31-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hunter played 10 snaps on offense and eight on defense, per DiRocco. He caught two passes for nine yards with the starting offense and did not record a defensive stat.

After impressing in his preseason debut, Hunter did not play in the Jags' second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints due to the same upper-body injury that will keep him out on Saturday.

While it is undoubtedly disappointing to Jaguars fans and NFL fans as a whole that they only got one glimpse of Hunter in game action during the preseason, it is clear that having him as close to 100 percent as possible for the regular-season opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 7 is Jacksonville's top priority.

The Jaguars' official depth chart lists Hunter as a starting wide receiver and backup cornerback, which suggests he will play a sizable role when the regular season commences.