The Jacksonville Jaguars have kept no secrets about their vision for Travis Hunter. Drafted second overall this year, the rookie has drawn headlines not only for his rare talent but also for the franchise’s commitment to letting him flourish on both sides of the ball. Training camp glimpses showed Hunter swapping jerseys mid-series, beginning as a wide receiver and finishing as a cornerback. The energy around him has been undeniable, but head coach Liam Coen denied him a chance to shine in the preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins.

Through August, Hunter logged 188 snaps on offense in team periods with 39 targets and 27 receptions, while also playing 176 defensive snaps, breaking up five passes and recording two tackles. Yet, as Saturday’s preseason finale nears, Hunter’s name will be absent from the lineup card. But Hunter’s absence is less a setback than a reminder. The Jags are protecting the jewel of their future, saving his debut for when it truly matters.

The head coach himself revealed to the reporters in South Florida that Hunter, along with the rest of the starters, will sit out the contest. “It was more of like, do we want him now or potentially not in Carolina?” Coen said. He noted the team’s focus is firmly on Week One against the Carolina Panthers. “It was more just being smart about the next few weeks. Because the ultimate goal is Carolina.”

And Rick Ballou of 1010XL echoed the same sentiment on X, “Liam Coen says they were being smart about not practicing Travis Hunter. Said if it was Carolina and it was a real game; he probably could have played @1010XL.” For now, the spotlight shifts to younger roster hopefuls, as the starters are being saved for the regular season.

From the moment Hunter stepped onto the practice field, the Jaguars have embraced the challenge. When Hunter was scheduled to practice with the offense, he often drifted to defensive coaches during special teams periods. Slotted for defense, he’d slip into offensive drills to keep his rhythm intact. The staff even gave him an opposite-color penny over his jersey as a visual cue of which side he was on.

At one point this summer, he opened a series on offense and closed it on defense. And yet, with a real game still weeks away, Coen hit pause. So, while Coen stressed that Travis Hunter’s preseason snaps weren’t worth the risk, the rookie’s steady presence on the sideline still showed his recovery is trending in the right direction.

Travis Hunter is not staying down!

Before the announcement, signs of Travis Hunter’s recovery from his upper-body injury had already surfaced. Analyst Cameron Wolfe reported, “Travis Hunter is running near full speed sprints off to the side along with Tyson Campbell while Dolphins-Jaguars are going thru joint practice.” Hunter’s role during these practices revealed another layer of Jacksonville’s developmental process. As per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Hunter spent time standing next to the wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett with a play sheet in his hands, shadowing calls and staying mentally engaged.

Coen confirmed this is a standard team protocol for injured players. “That’s what they’re supposed to do when they’re hurt,” Coen said. “We want ’em to make sure that they’re locked in, getting all the calls, understanding the call and being able to watch and execute as well in their minds.” And there is a vision to the approach. In Jacksonville’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hunter played 19 snaps: 10 on the offense and 9 on defense. Furthermore, he caught two passes for nine yards on the opening drive. And even though he didn’t record a defensive stat, Coen came away encouraged. “I think he made a couple good catches on some option routes,” Coen said. “He missed the one tackle defensively that I noticed… but I thought offensively he made the right decisions.” 

So far, Travis Hunter’s preseason has been less about production and more about preservation. The Jaguars’ gamble on a two-way star will require patience, but with Hunter’s recovery trending upward and Coen’s discipline guiding the process, Jacksonville is laying the groundwork for the rookie to become the first full-time two-way player in modern NFL history, with projections as high as playing 80% on both sides of the ball.