The Jacksonville Jaguars just introduced Travis Hunter to the NFL in a way no rookie has been used for decades. Sure Hunter didn’t light up the box score (six catches, 33 yards, one tackle) but the story wasn’t the stats.
In the 26-10 win over the Panthers, Hunter played 44 offensive snaps and six defensive snaps, becoming just the second player in a decade to take on that kind of two way workload. For Jaguars fans, it was a glimpse of a weapon who might change how this team is built.
What We Saw
GettyTravis Hunter played both sides of the ball in his Week 1 debut.
Jacksonville asked a rookie in his first game to play nearly every offensive snap while also taking reps on defense, something most teams won’t even consider in today’s era of hyper specialization.
Head coach Liam Coen explained that his defensive role was scaled back because of the time Hunter missed in camp. “It was maybe a little bit less for him this game,” Coen said. “I think it will only continue to evolve and go more.”
That evolution is the real storyline. Hunter was drafted to bend coverages, create mismatches, and give Jacksonville a weapon opponents can’t game plan for in a conventional way.
Even in a modest box score, you could see it. Quick hitting routes that moved the chains, deep patterns that forced Carolina to shade coverage, and a reminder that he can flip sides and hold his own in the secondary.
The Mentality Behind the Player
GettyExpect more to come.
For Hunter, the bigger takeaway was how natural it felt. “I did my job. That was the main focus, me doing my job,” he said. “I did what they asked me to do, and I know I could do more and I know I could do better.” That kind of self awareness is rare for a rookie still adjusting to NFL speed.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence also pointed out what fans couldn’t see on paper: the near misses. “He was great,” Lawrence said. “Had some big catches, obviously. You know, I think he’s a weapon for us, and he’s going to continue to get better and better. [Hunter] could have had more out there. I felt like I could have given him a few more opportunities on some of the ones I missed, but he had a good day today, and we just got to keep building off of it.”
The Jags has lacked star power outside of Trevor Lawrence, but Hunter represents something different: a player who can alter how opponents prepare. The rookie wasn’t perfect, and he didn’t need to be.
But what matters is that he showed he can handle the workload, play with poise, and hint at a higher ceiling than almost anyone else in the building. As Coen put it: “I can only see it going and expanding from here.”
The Jaguars have been searching for a spark to push them back into the playoff conversation, and Hunter’s versatility gives them exactly that. The more snaps he plays, and the more comfortable he gets, the harder it becomes to cap his potential. As impressive as Week 1 was, the scary thing (in a good way) is it might just be the beginning.
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