Is Travis Hunter playing tonight vs. the Dolphins? Exploring Jaguars rookie's status for the preseason Week 3 clash

Jacksonville Jaguars' 2025 NFL draft first-round pick Travis Hunter made an appearance in the team's opening preseason game on August 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, hauling in two receptions for nine yards of offense. However, his progress was halted by an upper-body injury sustained on August 14 that prevented him from playing in the second game against the New Orleans Saints.

Fans are now wondering if the Colorado product will play in the Jags' preseason finale, which is scheduled for Saturday evening.

Will Travis Hunter play for the Jaguars against the Dolphins?

Travis Hunter missed the practice with Miami on Thursday during the team phase, and he will not play for the Jags on Saturday night. Keeping him out appears to be a precaution.

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Jacksonville coach Liam Coen detailed the Jaguars' strategy for Saturday's preseason finale against the Dolphins after the joint practice with Miami on Thursday.

"We are not going to play our starters. We got them the two weeks of work in the first two games," Coen said. "There'll be a lot of young guys getting some quality work and there are a lot of guys that are going to play, that are fighting for a roster spot, or fighting for a roster spot potentially on someone else's team."

Coen said the team is focusing on ensuring Hunter is prepared to play when the regular season starts and that he didn't participate in practice to prevent his injury from getting worse.

Hunter took 713 offensive snaps and 748 defensive snaps for the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024, totaling 1,484 snaps, the highest recorded by any player in a single season since 2017. He caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning him the Fred Biletnikoff award. Additionally, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Jaguars fans will next be able to watch Hunter in action when the team faces the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium on September 7.

How to watch the preseason Week 3 game between the Jaguars and the Dolphins

The Dolphins and Jaguars will face off for the 13th time in the preseason on Saturday. The Jags have won five of those games, with the Fins winning the other seven.

NFL Network will broadcast the Dolphins vs. Jaguars preseason game nationally on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Local networks will also broadcast the game in Florida. Other options to watch the game via streaming include ESPN+ and FuboTV.

Game details:

Date and Time: Saturday, Aug. 23 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: NFL Network

Live Streaming: ESPN+, FuboTV

About the author

Habib Timileyin has been an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda for 2 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, and found himself drawn to the NFL about a decade ago.

Habib's favorite team is the Cincinnati Bengals and he particularly enjoyed their run to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. The 2016 Super Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots is his most favorite of all time, and if given a chance to go back in time, he would love to witness the Patroits’ incredible comeback from being 28-3 down to winning 34-28.

Habib admires Tom Brady for his journey from being in a low draft position to achieving immense success in the game. His favorite coach of all time is Bill Belichick.

Habib likes to study intricate details of a story before reporting on it, and compares information among several reputable sources to ensure accuracy. When he's not writing about the NFL, Habib is likely watching Soccer, Basketball or enjoying a good movie on sports.

Know More

Jaguars Fans! Check out the latest Jacksonville Jaguars Schedule and dive into the Jaguars Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Krutik Jain