Traveling to London cost Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Hunter a lot of money!
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As the team went to play the Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium, the star player had his family coming too. His wife, son, grandmother, cameraman, and one of his best friends all made the trip. Thankfully, Hunter did not have to pay for all of them.
“I only paid for my wife. If you couldn’t make it, if you couldn’t pay for it, hey, you ain’t making it. Because I seen enough,” Hunter said on the Chasing No. 1 podcast. “That flight just for the baby and her, because the baby is a lap baby, but flying first class, you basically got to pay for his ticket too. So that was six bands. That’s a lot of money. Plus, I got fined.”
As the dual-threat player explained paying the travel costs for his wife, Leanna Lenee, and their son, he revealed the extra hit to his wallet: a hefty NFL fine. Hunter discussed his first NFL fine with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
“15 racks, man,” Hunter replied when asked about the fine amount. “That’s my first one. That’s my first fine. I mean, it was only right. I did it, though. It was only right, bro.”
Chase joked that Hunter was fine because it was his first offense. He also praised the performance, telling Hunter he had made the game look like high school.
The incident Hunter was talking about happened during Jacksonville’s 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 6. Hunter intercepted C.J. Stroud in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, stopping Houston from extending its lead. He then removed his helmet to celebrate while still on the field.
Officials did not penalize him during the game, but the NFL reviewed the play afterward. Hunter received a $14,926 fine for the violation. He was fined under the category of Unsportsmanlike Conduct for use of the helmet. A second violation would cost him $20,897.
Hunter was not the only Jacksonville player to receive a fine this season. Bryan Thomas Jr., Jarrian Jones, Travon Walker and Arik Armstead are among the Jaguars who have also been disciplined for on-field violations. Hunter’s case, however, was different because the officials missed the helmet removal during the game.
The fine came after one of Hunter’s best performances since entering the NFL. He caught all four of his targets for 59 yards and a touchdown against Houston. His seven-yard score brought Jacksonville trailing 31-27 in the fourth quarter, and his interception on the following Texans possession gave the Jaguars another chance to take control.
Head coach Liam Coen praised Hunter’s impact on both sides of the ball after the loss.
“That was part of the plan, getting him a little bit more involved early, made some critical plays for us on both sides of the football, obviously,” Coen said. “Had the interception late, that gave us a chance to win the game. Proud of the way he completed, made some plays for us on offense and got to keep building off it.”
Hunter’s first NFL fine will cost him nearly $15,000, but he did not try to argue his way out of it on the podcast. He accepted that the celebration broke the rule, even if the moment was worth celebrating after such a big play.