One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 was that Travis Hunter was going to see an uptick in playing time at corner after logging just six snaps in the opener. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner did see an extended role on defense, but that's not what stood out about him in the 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hunter played 43 snaps on defense, posting a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 71.2. However, the one thing that fans remember and left a sour taste was the play where he was flagged for a phantom pass interference in Cincy's winning drive.
The refs made the wrong call with the PI on Jaguars 2-way star Travis Hunter
Late in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars were trying to put Cincinnati away. Leading 27-24, they got to their red zone but ultimately turned the ball over on downs. That's when Jake Brown led the offense down the field and scored the game-winning touchdown.
There was a brief moment where it looked like Jacksonville was going to put a stop to Browning. With 1:54 left in the game, the Bengals found themselves on their own 33-yard line. It was fourth-and-5, so they rightly took their chances.
Browning attempted to connect with wide receiver Andrew Iosivas, but Travis Hunter forced an incompletion. Although he defended the throw as well as he could, he was flagged for pass interference, gifting the Bengals a new set of fresh downs. Cincy took advantage of its new life and went on to win the game.
Below is the clip of the play in case you want to see it for yourself.
Travis Hunter flagged for pass interference pic.twitter.com/hIZJqPQ9GD
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) September 14, 2025
You could argue that Hunter should've turned his head, but that's not a rule. He didn't interfere with the pass, so it shouldn't have been a flag. Simple as that.
Related:4 critical observations from the Jags' disheartening loss to the Bengals
The Jaguars need to lean more on Travis Hunter moving forward
What's frustrating about the pass interference called on Travis Hunter is that he otherwise had a solid game, giving up just one reception for 15 yards on two targets. Heck, he played better than teammate Jarrian Jones, who briefly left the game but struggled when he was on the field.
Head coach Liam Coen, for his part, was pleased with Hunter's performance, pointing out that he played well outside the pass interference.
"Aside from that play getting called, I didn't see him do anything necessarily bad. On the sideline, I thought he made a nice play on a break-up, and he had good energy out there," Coen told the media after the loss (3:45 mark). "Jarrian got nicked up a little bit, so it forced a little bit more naturally, even though we wanted to get him a little more work as it was. He just keeps competing. I didn't get a great chance to watch him individually. I don't think he hurt us."
Coen is right. Hunter's play didn't hurt the team. If the refs had called the play right, the Jags would've forced a turnover on downs and probably won. Then again, it would've also helped if they had made more plays throughout the game.
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