"He's benched already": NFL fans react as Travis Hunter set to miss preseason game vs. Saints citing upper-body injury

The Jacksonville Jaguars have issued a concerning update about their 2025 NFL draft's first-round pick, Travis Hunter. The two-way star made his preseason debut against the Steelers last week. He played 10 offensive snaps along with eight defensive snaps.

The NFL world was expecting to see more of Travis Hunter during the Jaguars' game against the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. However, according to insider Adam Schefter, the 2024 Heisman winner might not see playing time on Sunday.

This is because the two-way star is dealing with an upper-body injury that needs rest and rehabilitation, according to coach Liam Coen. Hunter was also sidelined during Friday's practice session to give him time to recover.

"Jaguars receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is dealing with what Coach Liam Coen called an upper body injury and may not play in Sunday's preseason game at New Orleans," Schefter tweeted.

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Fans took to the comments to share their reactions to Hunter's injury news.

Hunter was not the only one sidelined during Friday's practice as nine other players, including CBs Tyson Campbell and Montaric Brown, were held off due to injury concerns.

Shannon Sharpe shares his take on Travis Hunter's preseason debut for the Jaguars against the Steelers

Despite playing both sides of the ball, the 2024 Heisman winner did not have much of an impact during his team's 31-25 loss to the Steelers.

After his preseason debut, retired 3x Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe gave his assessment of the rookie on the "Nightcap" show. He said Travis Hunter put up an average performance on the field.

"He did have 11 snaps, two receptions for nine yards," Sharpe said (Timestamp-5:05). "Nothing deep, nothing significant. He gave up leverage on one play- he'll learn, these guys are really good. If you got leverage, and he had leverage and let the guy bounce outside, you ain't catching those guys."

"You've to maintain your lane of responsibility and intergrity. But like I said, it was what it was. We saw what he was. How do we rate it?"

The Jaguars' preseason game will be played on Sunday at Caesars Superdome. It is scheduled to kick off at 1:00 pm ET. They then kick off Week 1 with a game against the Carolina Panthers on September 7 at EverBank Stadium. Can they make a playoff run this year after finishing with a 4-13 campaign in 2024?

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

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 Chaitanya Prakash