The Jaguars are set to see Travis Hunter play a live snap for the first time in nearly 10 months when they face the Browns on Sunday.
After a 10-pound offseason transformation, Hunter is ready to give the two-way formula another shot—assuming the Jaguars can map out a workable plan. So far, Hunter is largely locked in as a shutdown cornerback, with only occasional cameo snaps expected at wide receiver.
Hunter is starting at cornerback for Sunday. That’s the expected part.
What everyone is on pins and needles about is whether they finally get to see the two-way experiment on Sunday. Head coach Liam Coen had a very vague answer when asked if Hunter would get any snaps on offense in Week 1.
Liam Coen on Travis Hunter’s Role for Sunday
“I don’t,” Coen said Friday, per ESPN, as the Jaguars continued preparations for Sunday’s season opener against Cleveland at EverBank Stadium. “I have a lot of confidence in Travis to go out and compete for us. He hasn’t played a lot of football since he got hurt and it’s really at the end of the day, this is about winning football games.”
In the later part of the training camp, Hunter exclusively practiced on defense.
Jacksonville’s receiving corps are deep as they are, so whatever offensive plan the Jaguars have for Hunter each week will be fluid. He might not even get to touch the ball on the offensive side at all even when he is on the field.
“You’re going to continue to try to get him in positions that he can do things that he’s good at,” Coen said. “That’s what we’re trying to do. It doesn’t always mean Hunter is going to get the ball when he’s in the game. He’s a damn good blocker. He can run routes in terms of maybe the ball’s not schemed up to go to him.”
Yet, after all the vague answers and defensive positioning, Coen still threw in a final two-way vision pitchle, leaving the door open just a crack for when the mismatch calls for it.
“I’m not obviously having a count in my head with how many plays and what we’re exactly going to do with him, but he definitely will play both.”
Travis Hunter’s Just Excited to Play Again
The two-way battle might finally be tiring Hunter down, when the rookie just wants to experience the live snap again after his lengthy rehab.
“It’s about to be 10 months since I played a real down of football,” Hunter said, per Jaguars’ Insider John Shipley.
For him, it will be simply about living that moment instead of feeling pressured to write a comeback story.
“It’s really just football. I’m really happy to be able to go back out there and play football again.”
Even Hunter himself doesn’t know if he’ll get any offensive snaps, but he knows one thing: “Everybody knows I can’t sit on the sideline. I don’t like sitting on the sideline.”
I’m going to be able to do my job. I’m going to be in the right spot when I need to be.”
Jaguars HC Doesn’t Have Set Plan For Travis Hunter’s Two-Way Role Vs. Browns