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Jacksonville Jaguars survive Brian Thomas Jr. injury scare during minicamp practice
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- Jacksonville Jaguars survive Brian Thomas Jr. injury scare during minicamp practice
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one practice away from dismissing for the summer. The team concluded the second mandatory minicamp practice from the Miller Electric Center with one final "toned down" practice June 12 before dismissing for the summer.
The practice was open to fans and saw strong competition from the team's offense and defense, with the defense having an impressive showing.
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The team skated past a scary moment when wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. collided with defenders and went down to the ground.
'I didn't buy a house yet': Jaguars' Travis Hunter is all business as he continues young NFL career
Thomas walked off the field under his own power and was checked by the team's training staff from the indoor facility before returning to the sideline.
He never returned to the actual practice field, but head coach Liam Coen said he was fine after the practice concluded.
"He absolutely could have gone back and played. He just bruised [his shoulder] a little bit," Coen said. "He had great range of motion, strength, he's all good. No issues, just precautionary."
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Let's take a look at a few observations from the practice:
Travis Hunter receives a hero's welcome during the fan-attended minicamp practice
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12), center, takes a selfie with brothers JJ Rivera, 14, left, and Gary DeLeon-Rivera during the second mandatory minicamp at Miller Electric Center Wednesday, June 11, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla.
It's clear the excitement around Travis Hunter's selection in April's draft has not subsided. Fans came out in droves, lining up to get a glimpse of the rookie playmaker and his teammates.
The Jaguars flipped the field from their normal routine, allowing the receivers to be the closest players to the fans.
They were able to get an up-close look at Hunter, cheering every time he touched the ball. Even on simple drills that are typical for him at this point in the offseason, Hunter was applauded.
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There was a moment where Hunter raised an arm to acknowledge the fans, which was met by even more applause from the early risers.
It wasn't a notable day from Hunter, who practiced strictly with the offense during the workout. Though, he made a catch against Tyson Campbell for a touchdown during the 11-on-11 period.
Hunter signed autographs and took pictures with fans after the practice, providing a moment that'll be remembered for a long time.
Jacksonville's defense brings the heat during the hot minicamp practice
For minicamp, Coen came up with a way to up the competition between the offense and defense by keeping score during team periods.
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Jacksonville's defense largely won the second minicamp practice.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) wraps up a tackling dummy during drills during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
The first play of the redzone period saw cornerback Buster Brown make a diving, touchdown-saving pass break up against tight end Brenton Strange .
It was a tone setter for the day as several Jaguars' defenders made impressive plays. Rookie Caleb Ransaw made an athletic PBU that likely saved a touchdown.
Second-year defensive lineman Maason Smith swatted down a pass at the line of scrimmage and rolled the ball back to the offense—puffing his chest out a bit after a strong offseason.
But the best play of the day came from defensive back Jourdan Lewis , who broke up a Lawrence to Hunter pass in the endzone in a clash of good on good.
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Lewis climbed the ladder to deflect the pass with Hunter trying to snag the jump ball over him in the back corner of the endzone. The entire defense ran over to celebrate the play as Hunter trotted back to the offensive sideline.
"They've done a good job, man," Coen said of the defense. "It's always good to have back and forth, and I think the defense has really improved over the last week. You see a solid improvement out of these guys."
Jaguars coaches emphasize 'celebrating with teammates' as offseason workouts wind down
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen greets quarterback Nick Mullens (12) during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Winning is hard.
It's hard for teams to breakthrough the metaphorical glass to enter the upper echelon of the elite. Once there, it's hard to stay among the elite.
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But it's even harder for teams without a culture of winning to establish one. That was the task laid at Coen's feet when he took over the team.
"This game, this league, is not easy. It's not easy to win, it's not easy to score, it's not easy to defend," Coen said. "So, when we do things right, yeah, it's going to have to become second nature."
A phrase often used by coaches during the offseason is "celebrate with your teammates." It's not just uttered on touchdowns, but any play that garners positive yards.
After impressive plays on either side of the ball, teammates swarm the person who made the play. High-fives, daps, helmet taps, and even hugs are issued to the player.
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Those are small culture builders, adding support to the foundation laid by Coen through his first few months as head coach.
"You want to be able to celebrate it when it does occur, and not just act like we just did something really ordinary," Coen said. "It's not ordinary to win in this league; it's hard. So, we want to be able to have the right mindset when playing."
The Jaguars will wrap up their final offseason workout Thursday, June 12, before dismissing for the summer.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. injury scare in minicamp
