Jaguars must trade for help at receiver despite encouraging Travis Hunter update

The Jacksonville Jaguars decided to place Travis Hunter on Injured Reserve in the days preceding the Week 9 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. With the Heisman Trophy out of the mix, their dearth of depth at receiver was exposed in the last-minute win.

The silver lining is that Hunter's injury isn't as serious as it could've been. Adam Schefter of ESPN broke the news that his ACL was intact, and a later report confirmed that the rookie out of Colorado didn't sustain long-term damage to his knee. But as encouraging as the update is, it shouldn't deter the Jags from bringing in reinforcements at receiver at the trade deadline.

The Jaguars could get Travis Hunter back this season

Before the Raiders game, Mike Silver of The Athletic reported that Travis Hunter's injury doesn't appear to be severe, noting that the Jags don't plan to rush him back into action. One day later, Schefter brought up the possibility that the West Palm Beach native could return this season. Here's the skinny.

"First of all, Travis Hunter isn't someone who misses time. When he goes down, and he's out for four weeks at minimum, that tells you it's not great, "Schefter said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. "And I think it's going to be, my sense is it's going to be beyond that. It's going to be, as I was told, it's going to, quote, unquote, a while before Travis Hunter comes back."

Schefter continued, "And Jacksonville has been winning, and as long as they stay alive, I think we could see Travis Hunter again later this season. But I put this a little bit in the Jayden Daniels category, you're going to be careful with this guy."

For context, Jayden Daniels played a huge role in the Washington Commanders' playoff run in 2024. However, the sophomore quarterback has dealt with a myriad of ailments that have hindered his performance and limited him to six games this season. Below are Schefter's remarks with Pat McAfee.

Jaylen Waddle and Jakobi Meyers would give the Jaguars a boost

Even if Travis Hunter returns this season, and there's a chance he will, the Jaguars must trade for reinforcements at wide receiver. They signed Austin Tremmell to the active roster, and Tim Jones came through after being elevated from the practice squad. However, Tim Patrick has missed two games with a groin injury, and Dyami Brown is in concussion protocol.

Apart from Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington, Jacksonville doesn't have a playmaker at receiver who will scare opposing defenses. Couple that with the fact that the depth at tight end is also thin, and it would make sense to add weapons to Trevor Lawrence's arsenal.

Jakobi Meyers is the logical choice because of his connection to Jaguars receivers coach Edgar Bennett. Jaylen Waddle would be another option now that the Miami Dolphins are listening to trade offers. Similarly, the Jags could give the Green Bay Packers a call about Romeo Doubs.

The bottom line is that even after getting a positive Travis Hunter update, the Jaguars need to add more weapons to Trevor Lawrence's arsenal if they want to catch fire in the second half of the season.