Ja’Marr Chase didn’t exactly hand out compliments when asked about Travis Hunter.
The Bengals receiver was in front of reporters this week and got a question about Jacksonville’s secondary, with the focus landing on how Hunter looks now compared with his rookie season. Hunter has spent the offseason adding muscle while recovering from a torn LCL, and that new frame has fueled plenty of conversation about what might be different in Year 2. Chase didn’t bite.
“Ummm … That’s all I got,” he said after the question about Travis.
That was the whole answer, and it landed like one anyway.
Chase has already seen this Jaguars defense up close, and the memory probably explains why he didn’t feel the need to say much. He carved up Jacksonville for 14 catches, 165 yards, and a touchdown back in 2025. So when he gives a short shrug of a response, the numbers behind it do a lot of the talking.
Hunter’s first season at cornerback has come with plenty of scrutiny. He was beaten badly in coverage during a joint practice against the Saints in August, and some fans said he got completely mossed on that play. Even so, Jacksonville has kept him locked in as a full-time corner this season, betting that the same athletic gifts that made him a two-way force at Colorado will translate on Sundays.
He did give the Jaguars a flash of production in Week 3, picking off the Patriots for his first pro interception. That moment also sparked a scuffle involving one of his teammates and a ball boy.
Chase has shown respect for Hunter before, though. He once called him “a pure athlete” who “can literally do it all.” Joe Burrow also praised what he saw from Hunter in college.
Still, plenty of fans aren’t sold on the idea that Hunter has already become a shutdown corner. “Travis hunter isn’t the lockdown corner he was praised to be stupid question,” one wrote.
Another added, “I mean when did Travis Hunter become lock down? 😭”
The skepticism makes sense when you look at how limited Hunter’s rookie tape at corner was. His season ended early because of that knee injury, which left fewer snaps for people to judge. But the hype followed him into the league for a reason: he won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado in 2024 as a true two-way standout, and Jacksonville traded up to take him with the No. 2 overall pick the next spring.
That kind of profile keeps every snap under a microscope. And when Chase answers a Travis Hunter question with a blunt little “Ummm … That’s all I got,” it only adds more heat to the spotlight.
In Other News...
Travis Hunter Just Got The Kind Of Test Jaguars Fans Feared
Travis Hunters return has already become one of the most closely watched storylines around Jacksonville, and the latest challenge waiting for him is the kind that can sharpen the attention even more. The rookie corner, drafted second overall after winning the Heisman Trophy in 2024, has been working back from a torn LCL while adding muscle, and the Jaguars have had a front-row seat to both the promise and the growing pains that come with his transition to the league.
JaMarr Chase recently offered a brief comment on facing Hunter, a meeting that carries extra weight because Chase has already had a strong day against Jacksonvilles defense before. Hunter has flashed the splash play that made him such a tantalizing prospect, including a notable interception, but he has also run into some coverage issues in a season that has drawn mixed reviews. For the Jaguars, this is the kind of test that can either validate the optimism or remind everyone how steep the learning curve can be. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Have A Secondary Problem At The Worst Time
The Jaguars are heading into Week 4 with some real uncertainty in the secondary, and it comes at a bad time with the Bengals on deck. Cornerbacks Montaric Brown and Christian Braswell are both listed as questionable, and each has been limited in practice because of injuries, leaving Jacksonville to sort out how it wants to handle a matchup that could stress the back end of the defense.
Jarrian Jones has already been handling the biggest workload among Jacksonville cornerbacks this season, and that responsibility could grow quickly if Brown and Braswell cannot go. The Jaguars need clarity before kickoff because the corner rotation could end up being a major factor in how well they match up with Cincinnati's receivers. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars May Face A Brian Thomas Jr. Decision They Didn't Want
Even with Brian Thomas Jr. just getting established in Jacksonville, his name has already surfaced in trade chatter as the season approaches. ESPNs Dan Graziano has pegged the Kansas City Chiefs as a potential landing spot, with the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders also said to be interested in adding the Jaguars wideout to strengthen their receiver rooms.
For Jacksonville, the conversation is less about whether Thomas can help and more about how the team views its own depth at the position. If the Jaguars decide to listen, they may find a market with multiple suitors, and that kind of competition can quickly turn a difficult roster question into a far more complicated one. [Read more 🡒]