It's 'very premature' to discuss whether Travis Hunter will play both ways in 2026, Jags coach says

Jacksonville Jaguars manager Liam Coen says it's excessively aboriginal to sermon whether Travis Hunter volition play connected some sides of the shot successful 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It’s excessively aboriginal to find whether Travis Hunter volition proceed to play connected some sides of the ball, Jacksonville Jaguars manager Liam Coen said Wednesday.

Hunter had season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair a ligament successful his close genu and is expected to instrumentality to the shot tract wrong six months. He injured his genu during a noncontract drill successful signifier past month.

“All of that is precise premature,” Coen said astir whether Hunter could play some receiver and cornerback successful 2026. “At the extremity of the day, similar each subordinate connected this roster, he’ll beryllium evaluated astatine the extremity of the season, and we’ll beryllium capable to springiness him his 3 better, 3 champion and the things that we request to proceed to amended upon and the things we request to physique on.”

Hunter was coming disconnected a career performance successful London earlier his injury. The 2024 Heisman Trophy victor from Colorado caught 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams, and the Jaguars (5-4) were readying to usage him arsenic their No. 1 receiver moving guardant successful hopes of minimizing drops.

The injury, though, surely volition stunt his NFL growth. Hunter ne'er truly looked similar the feline first-time wide manager James Gladstone said could "alter the athletics itself.” Hunter was neither the rebuilding team's champion cornerback nor its champion receiver.

And Jacksonville traded 2 premium draught picks to determination up 3 spots and prime him 2nd wide successful April. The Jaguars dealt a second-rounder successful 2025 and a first-rounder successful 2026 to swap first-round spots with Cleveland.

Hunter played a combined 486 snaps this season, with 324 of those coming connected offense. He played 67% of the downs connected that broadside of the ball. He played 162 snaps connected defense, being connected the tract 36% of the clip connected that broadside of the ball.

He finished with 28 receptions for 298 yards and a score. He besides had 15 tackles and 3 walk defenses.

“Also looking at, ‘OK, wherever bash we request him most, successful much ways than others,’” Coen said. “The happening has been a learning experiment. But getting to cognize the idiosyncratic has evidently been the astir important happening and the benignant of competitor, the mode that helium learns, the mode that helium competes, the mode that helium practices, that’s worldly that we’ve been capable to summation invaluable accusation connected and beryllium capable to usage moving guardant and really enactment successful a continued practice.”

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