Travis Hunter gave the Jaguars a vivid snapshot of what he can do on both sides of the ball in Sunday’s 34-31 loss to the Texans, and Liam Coen made it clear Monday that Jacksonville is not about to chase that breakout with a snap-count sprint.
Hunter was on the field for a season-high nine offensive snaps against Houston, and he turned that small slice of work into a big return: four catches on four targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he logged 62 snaps and came away with an end-zone interception of C.J. Stroud in the fourth quarter.
That naturally opened the door to a bigger question coming out of the bye: should the Jaguars lean harder into Hunter on offense after seeing how dangerous he can be there? Coen’s answer was to pump the brakes.
"Just keep chomping away at it," Coen said. "We're not going to over rotate to a good game.
We want to continue to build. There's a lot of games left in the season."
For most of the year, Hunter’s usage has tilted heavily toward defense. Through six games, he has played 311 defensive snaps and only 31 on offense. But against Houston, Jacksonville clearly made a point of involving him more as a receiver, and Coen said after the game that was part of the plan.
Hunter made that offensive stretch count in the fourth quarter, catching three passes for 40 yards on a touchdown drive that ended with a 7-yard score and pulled Jacksonville within three points. Then, on the Texans’ next possession, he stayed right in the middle of the action by picking off Stroud in the end zone and snuffing out Houston’s chance to add to the lead.
Even with that kind of impact, Coen said the Jaguars will keep measuring Hunter’s role by what helps the team most, not by chasing a specific number of snaps on either side.
"We want to make sure that we're continuing to build on the right trajectory that gives us the best chance to win on Sundays," Coen said. "We've won a lot of games with him maybe not playing 100 snaps. And last week, you saw his impact and effect on games where he is playing more."
That approach looks set to continue. Hunter has become a near-every-down cornerback, playing 98% of Jacksonville’s defensive snaps against Houston, while his offensive workload remains more selective and package-based.
"It's about the team. It's about the group," Coen said.
"He's no different. And he's going to continue to help us win on Sundays."
In Other News...
Jaguars Could Make A Deadline Move Fans Never Saw Coming
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Jaguars are at least looking hard at a couple of options that would have sounded unlikely not long ago. Brandon Cleveland is entering the final stretch of his contract, which gives Jacksonville a chance to see whether there is any value to be found in moving him now rather than letting his situation play out later.
Jourdan Lewis is the more surprising name in the conversation, especially for a player who has served as both a nickel cornerback and a team captain. Still, the idea is less about anything Lewis has done wrong than about how Jacksonville might try to rework its defense if the right deal materializes, even if these possibilities remain only speculative for now. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Could Catch Ravens At A Brutal Time For Baltimore
Lamar Jacksons ankle injury has put Baltimore in a tough spot at exactly the wrong time. The Ravens downgraded him from questionable to out for the upcoming game against Cincinnati after he sustained a high-ankle sprain in Week 4, and now everything turns to the next matchup against Buffalo, where his status is still up in the air.
For Jacksonville, the timing matters because the Jaguars are watching a Ravens team that is much more dangerous when Jackson is on the field. Baltimore is expected to monitor his practice participation closely before deciding whether he is ready to return, leaving a key stretch of the schedule hanging on how quickly the quarterback can recover. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Could Finally Fix One Roster Problem At The Trade Deadline
The Jaguars have spent enough time dealing with the same interior defensive line issue that the trade deadline now feels like a real chance to patch it. With the defense looking for more push and sturdiness inside, the conversation has shifted toward veteran tackles who could help right away, and a few names have surfaced as possible fits for Jacksonvilles front.
Moro Ojomo, Daron Payne, Zach Sieler and Christian Covington all bring different appeals, whether it is age, role, contract situation or expected cost to acquire. The question for Jacksonville is less about whether help is available and more about which path makes the most sense, because any move would need to balance immediate impact with how much the Jaguars are willing to pay to solve a problem that has lingered for a while. [Read more 🡒]