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Could Travis Hunter workload increase after Jaguars' injuries? Liam Coen says not really
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- Could Travis Hunter workload increase after Jaguars' injuries? Liam Coen says not really
The Jacksonville Jaguars are putting a lot on Travis Hunter 's plate, but aren't going to overload him in his rookie season.
Though that appears oxymoronic due to the nature of Hunter's playing status — being used on both offense and defense at receiver and cornerback — the team is still limiting him as far as how many positions he'll be deployed at. Currently, Hunter is working as the team's F (slot) receiver and a boundary corner on defense.
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"He's right now at one position on offense and one position on defense, so that doesn't really fully change. It's just more [that] the next guy having to go and adjust to go play some Z (flanker), which is what happened in the game. So no, I don't think it changes much," Coen said when asked about Hunter's usage in respect to an injury to receiver Dyami Brown (shoulder).
Through three games, Hunter's usage has increased , at least on the defensive side of the ball. After playing just six defensive snaps against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, he's played 43 snaps in each of the last two games.
The team has remained steady on offense, utilizing Hunter for 42 snaps each in the first two games of the season and 37 snaps last Sunday against the Houston Texans .
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Thus far this season, Hunter has had 16 passes thrown his way, catching 10 for 76 yards. Last week, Hunter had an explosive catch-and-run for 21 yards, showcasing a glimpse of what he can provide for the franchise offensively.
On defense, aside from a bad pass interference call against the Bengals , Hunter has given up just five catches for 74 yards through three games, according to Pro Football Reference.
Note: Jacksonville deploys a zone-heavy scheme, so any coverage stats could be skewed depending on the unknown defensive play call.
Coen was asked about Hunter's future and agreed that Hunter wouldn't be tasked with learning multiple positions on either side of the ball, at least this season.
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"I don't think it's fair right now to say, 'Hey dude, go learn Z and X and 12 and this and that. It's like, man, we got to make sure he can really go and execute what we're asking him to do first and foremost, which is to play F and play corner," said Coen.
"So, I think as we go and as he goes, I got to believe that it'll continue to do this [move upward]."
Travis Hunter pre-snap penalties will be addressed
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) reacts to a tackle during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10.
The Jaguars have struggled with pre-snap penalties this season and have been called for at least six, with one accepted. Five other shift penalties were declined as that option benefited the opposition more.
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For at least a couple of those shifts, Hunter has admitted to being at fault.
"We just weren't running up right. We weren't fully locked in. I had a couple mistakes too, so I have to do better with that. I think I had two or three of those. I still have to do my job, and the other guys have to do their job," Hunter said after the team's loss to the Bengals in Week 2 when asked about the motion fouls.
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On other occasions, the Jaguars were forced to burn timeouts due to players not knowing or forgetting where to line up for an individual play. The offense's structure dictates a lot of movement, but Coen wouldn't go so far as to say Hunter isn't up to speed on the playbook.
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"I wouldn't say he's behind. I think we can probably do a better job of helping him in some ways. We had a great talk with Trav after this past game in terms of just man, like, alright, how can we help you and put you because what is he learning? It's a lot," said Coen.
The Jaguars will be "more diligent" when deploying Hunter so as not to have to make too many pre-snap adjustments. That should allow the rookie to play a bit sharper, or as Coen said, "so that we can just let him go play."
"You saw he catches the out cut the other day and makes multiple people miss, so that's what we're trying to continue to push and that's got to be on us as well. Yeah, he has a hand in it for sure, absolutely, but I do think we can help him more," Coen added.
The Jaguars will get an opportunity to do that in a hostile environment on the West Coast when they take on the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.
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Jaguars passing game needs to improve in practice first
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) warms up before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
The Jaguars haven't exactly had a stellar passing game, especially downfield.
Last week, for instance, the longest pass from an air-yard perspective was just 16 yards. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed just 2 of 11 passes over 10 air yards for 62 yards and an interception.
His longest completion from an air-yards perspective was 16 yards.
Lawrence's play isn't a cause for concern yet, and neither is the team's offense as it works through a new system, terminology and players.
Jacksonville added three new wideouts this offseason, including Hunter, Brown and Tim Patrick — meanwhile, second-year wideout Brian Thomas Jr. hasn't had the impact many expected after he totaled over 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns during his rookie campaign.
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Thomas' ability was showcased a bit last week after he caught an intermediate target and ran a total of 46 yards to, essentially, secure Jacksonville's 17-10 victory.
Lawrence's completed air yards per attempt is currently at 2.8, ranking 23rd in the NFL. The league average is set at 3.6, according to Pro Football Reference, through three weeks of action.
When Lawrence does connect with receivers downfield, his average is a bit better at 5.1. The league average is 5.6, and Buffalo's Josh Allen is at 5.2, for reference.
The issue is that the connection hasn't been there, in addition to the drops Jacksonville has had on that side of the ball. For that matter, Coen said he hasn't quite figured out why the drops occur.
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"I think one thing I mentioned the other day was just we've got to attack the ball more, I think with our hands, instead of letting it maybe get into the body at times," Coen said.
"We always talk about not trying to let the ball cross our eyes. So if it's an in breaker or even an out breaker, trying not to let it cross you this way at all, there's a difference between the ball being here [motions close to his body] and going and getting it there."
In terms of how to fix the team's downfield passing game, Coen said it'll start in practice.
"It's got to happen out here [points toward practice field]. Yeah, it's got to happen out here. We've got to be able to do it in practice and then it'll probably happen in the games," said Coen.
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter usage won't go up despite Jacksonville Jaguars injuries
