The Jacksonville Jaguars improved to 3–1 with Sunday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers, but much of the talk afterward focused on Travis Hunter’s snap count. The two-way star was limited to offense in the second half, prompting speculation that he had been benched on defense.
Head coach Liam Coen offered only a short explanation postgame. “Yes, it was just a personal decision that had to do with a few things that we’ll keep in-house for now.”
Hunter, however, kept the focus on production, particularly his critical third-down conversion. “Just did my job. Did exactly what coach called. In practice we don’t normally hit that route. So I just…did what I had to do and we finally hit that spot and hit that play. So it was exciting for me to go up and catch the ball and also get the first down for the team.”
Reporters wondered if it was a defining moment for him, but Hunter wouldn’t go there. “No, I just felt like I just went out there and did my job, did what I had to do for the team.”
Travis Hunter on his highlight catch today for the #jaguars: “I feel like I just went out there and did my job and did what I had to do for the team.” @BrentASJax pic.twitter.com/5OGE1PxbqR
— BrentDanStuartMarcelAlivia (@ActionSportsJax) September 29, 2025
Though he played only offense in the second half, Hunter emphasized it was part of the plan. “We just decided that we had somebody else that can go in and that’s what coach felt comfortable with doing. So we went out there and just got the dub.”
He also stressed the importance of Jacksonville getting the win, while acknowledging the team can play better. “It feels great for us, but we know we got to continue to work. We had mental mistakes that we know we got to get rid of so we can have a clean game.”
By Monday, Coen was much more positive about Hunter’s defensive role, citing depth and rotations in the secondary. “I think we probably got a little, I don’t want to say impatient, but he had the one thing, he’s still been going through the process of it. I mean, we’re going to get him right back into it this week, and it’s great to have Montaric [Buster Brown] back…we have all the confidence in the world, in really, Travis and Buster coming back and Jarrian [Jones] giving us good reps. So, it’s great to have those guys all be able to go play.”
Through it all, Hunter has stayed relentlessly positive, keeping the spotlight on his role and his teammates rather than the noise. “I love going out there...I’m excited to be able to do my job.”
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