![Former Colorado teammates Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) and Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) talk on the field after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Browns 34-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_218,y_739,w_3144,h_1768/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/55/01m3j2mq8fraxcv5hh3y.jpg "Former Colorado teammates Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) and Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) talk on the field after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Browns 34-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]")
The Jacksonville Jaguars raised concerns about how they used Travis Hunter to start the regular season. Early in 2026, the team's brass stated that the former Heisman Trophy winner would play cornerback full-time because of roster needs. However, he was part of the rotation on defense and barely played receiver the first two games.
Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reported that Jacksonville wanted to ease Hunter into action after he suffered an MCL injury last year, but his snap count would substantially go up against the New England Patriots in Week 3.
That's precisely what ended up happening, and more importantly, Hunter took advantage of his opportunities during a goal-line stance just before halftime.
Travis Hunter register his first interception with the Jaguars in Week 3
The Patriots were marching toward the Jacksonville end zone and were within striking distance of scoring. However, Travis Hunter wasn't having any of that and picked up Drake Maye when he targeted Efton Chism III, effectively preventing New England from scoring.
Unleash the Jaguars unicorn. Travis Hunter 1st NFL interception here off Drake Maye.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) September 27, 2026
Then Trav goes crazy with celebration dance: pic.twitter.com/mNXPJCAUeE
This marked Hunter's first career interception in the NFL. It also proved that the Jags might have been onto something when they opted not to throw him into a full-time role to start the season.
It's worth noting that Hunter wasn't perfect, though. He gave up a long completion early in the game and was seemingly out of position on a couple snaps. That said, the former Colorado Buffalo showed encouraging progress with his game-altering interception.
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The Jaguars were right to ease Travis Hunter back into action
After the loss to the Denver Broncos, there were questions about how the Jaguars were using Travis Hunter. Couple that with the fact that he didn't particularly stand out, and it was fair to wonder if he probably wasn't living up to expectations.
However, No. 12's interception and Cameron Wolfe's remarks shed light on what was happening. He silenced those of us who questioned whether Hunter was behind in his development or whether the organization had tempered expectations. That wasn't seemingly the case.
Perception can change from one week to another, and Travis Hunter just silenced his doubters just one game after he struggled to stand out. The Jaguars probably didn't pay attention to the outside noise but should most definitely feel vindicated based on how things are playing out.
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