The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-1 after picking up a tough win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. While the Liam Coen era is off to an amazing start, the Travis Hunter era hasn’t quite found it’s stride yet. The second-overall pick is playing both ways, wide receiver and cornerback, but hasn’t quite become an impact player at either one just yet. That’s not a big deal, though, because he’s only four games into his career. While patience seems to be a foreign concept, it’s important to practice it with young players.
What is concerning, though, was Hunter’s usage on Sunday, and what head coach Liam Coen said about the rookie after the game. Hunter only played wide receiver in the second half, and when Coen was asked why after the game, the head coach said, “Personal decision that had to do with a few things we’ll keep in-house for now.”
Travis Hunter played 9 of 66 defensive snaps
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 28, 2025
and 38 of 68 offensive snaps
3 catches for 42 yards on 5 targets
Jaguars won’t reveal the reason Travis Hunter only played offense in second half vs. 49ers
That could mean several different things, so naturally, fans started assuming, and none of the assumptions were good. Some believe it’s because Hunter didn’t play well in his nine defensive snaps, or that he may be struggling to balance both sides, or that he was banged up a little bit. No one knows, and since Jacksonville isn’t saying why, people will come up with whatever they want to make sense of the situation.
Hunter finished the game with 47 total snaps, 38 on offense and nine on defense, and caught three passes for 42 yards, while also recording two tackles. On offense, he did have one play that showed his big-play ability, going up and across the middle for a 28-yard catch on a 3rd and 15.
Whatever the situation is internally, everyone outside the building needs to remember to have patience. There’s a rush to define Hunter’s career, and characterize the trade it took to land him, but the reality is no one has ever made the Hall of Fame or been a bust in four games. Hunter and the Jaguars are on a journey, so everyone just needs to let it unfold.