Travis Hunter
TheJacksonville Jaguars’ Week 2 loss to theCincinnati Bengals will sting for a while. Not only did they fail to close out a Bengals team that played the entire second half withoutJoe Burrow, but once again, self-inflicted mistakes piled up.
But amid it all, rookieTravis Hunter gave a candid look at his unique two-way role, and why he’s embracing the challenge despite the growing pains.
Hunter on Playing Both Ways
GettyIn his Week 2 game against the Bengals on September 14, 2025, Travis Hunter had 3 receptions for 22 receiving yards.
Hunter logged extended snaps on defense after an early injury forced him into more coverage responsibilities, often matched up againstJa’Marr Chase andTee Higgins. The rookie didn’t shy away from the spotlight.
“They told me I’d play a lot more defense, so I was just prepared and ready,”Hunter said postgame. “It was great for me early in my career to go against those two guys. They’ve established themselves in this league, so it was great for me.”
Hunter admitted the extra workload didn’t faze him.
“I feel great. I feel like I can go back out there and play some more,” he said.
And when asked about his confidence in handling a rare NFL two-way role, Hunter didn’t hesitate:
“Yeah, this is definitely what I want to do. There’s a lot of people that are going to continue to doubt me, but I just got to go out there and do my job. Let them say what they want to say.”
Mistakes That Cost Jacksonville
Travis Hunter
GettyTravis Hunter also recoded 2 total tackles (two solo) in Week 2.
Like quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Hunter pointed to self-inflicted errors, including a rash of illegal shifts that stalled drives. He even took accountability for his part in them.
“We weren’t fully locked in. I had a couple mistakes, too. I think I had two or three of those. But I still got to do my job and the other guys just got to do theirs.”
Hunter also said the Jaguars’ early offensive rhythm was wasted by turnovers and missed opportunities.
“We came out fast, but we just got to finish just like we came out,” he said.
Hunter stood firmly behind second year wideoutBrian Thomas Jr., who had a costly fourth down drop late.
“I just tell him to keep his head up. I’m always going to have his back no matter if he’s right, wrong, or does something that we know is not in his character. I’m just going to stand behind him and continue to push him to be great.”
Hunter also praised running back Faciani Tuton’s strong performance, emphasizing the importance of complementary football.
The Jaguars are 1-1, and Hunter’s versatility gives them options few teams possess. But until Jacksonville cleans up the mental errors and finishes games, the rookie’s confidence alone won’t be enough to change results.
“We just got to break down this game, make sure it don’t happen no more, and just do our jobs individually,” Hunter said.