Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Hunter played all 76 defensive snaps and zero offensive snaps during a win over the Cincinnati Bengals on October 5, 2026, marking the first time in his professional career he appeared exclusively on defense.
Travis Hunter played exclusively in the defensive secondary across 76 total plays during Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The former Heisman Trophy winner and 2025 NFL Draft two-way prospect recorded zero offensive snaps on Sunday afternoon.
This workload breaks from Hunter’s rookie-year pattern of splitting time between wide receiver and cornerback before injuries shortened his debut season. He had logged only 16 offensive plays through the first three weeks of the current campaign.
Injuries Force Hunter Into Defensive Role
Jacksonville entered the matchup without Montaric Brown due to a hamstring injury and Christian Braswell due to a knee issue. These absences left the secondary with only four healthy cornerbacks, even after the team elevated Jabbar Muhammad from the practice squad.
Head coach Liam Coen said the staff planned specific offensive plays for Hunter prior to kickoff, but opted not to risk injury to their star cover corner. Wide receivers Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and Jakobi Meyers already anchor the offensive attack.
“We knew with Buster being down and Braswell being down he was going to play every single snap of the game. Had some things for him on offense, but we just didn’t feel like putting him out there — ‘oh man, he gets hurt on offense, we’re in a real bad spot.’ So didn’t want to put ourselves at risk there and I was very proud of the way Travis played defensively today.”
Liam Coen, Jaguars Head Coach
Hunter Shuts Down Bengals Targets
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow generated a 58.3 passer rating when targeting coverage in Hunter’s direction. Hunter was tasked with containing Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Hunter recorded two pass breakups and a near-interception off Burrow that a penalty eventually erased. His physical play included a hard tackle on Dohnte Meyers and a slick move past Higgins on the negated turnover.
“He played his ass off today,” Coen said.
I just thought Trav balled today.Liam Coen, Jaguars Head Coach
Team Wins Outweigh Two-Way Reps
Jacksonville sits at 3-1, relying on a physical defense to suffocate opposing drives. While the franchise still describes Hunter as a two-way player, his weekly snap counts depend on what puts the team in the best position to win.
“He cares about winning,” Coen said.
That’s what he cares about. All the other stuff — the reps, where we picked him, does that value. I don’t give two f’s about value, and neither does he. We care about winning, and that’s it.Liam Coen, Jaguars Head Coach
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