Jaguars still plan on Travis Hunter being a two-way player in 2026 - ESPN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars' plan for Travis Hunter will be the same in 2026 as it was in 2025: He's going to play on both sides of the ball.

General manager James Gladstone, speaking at an end-of-season news conference, said the team was encouraged with the progress Hunter made before his season-ending knee injury and is eager to see the progress he'll make in 2026.

«We still expect him to play on both sides of the ball,» Gladstone said Wednesday morning. "… The steps that he was taking by the midpoint of the season really made us feel good about what the back half of the year was going to be on both sides of the ball and what that impact was going to look like being a feature point on offense and an impact player on defense.

«It [the injury] was just disappointing timing but nonetheless feel good about where we are heading into this offseason and what next year should hold.»

The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner finished his rookie season with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown and 15 tackles and three pass breakups. He played 67% of the team's offensive snaps and 36% of the defensive snaps prior to the noncontact knee injury he suffered in practice on Oct. 30.

The Jaguars had decided to run the pass game through Hunter before their Oct. 19 game against the Los Angeles Rams in London, partly because of his skills and playmaking ability but also because of Brian Thomas Jr.'s struggles (five drops). Hunter caught eight passes for 104 yards and a touchdown during the 35-7 loss.

«With Travis having gotten to a place midseason where you felt like he was starting to peak and really make a real dent, and the plan for post-bye was to continue to enhance that, [it was] tough not to be able to see that come to