Travis Hunter WILL Continue To Play Both Sides Of the Ball

For everyone in the football media who has insisted that playing both ways is a physical impossibility over a long NFL career, the Jaguars have an answer. They are not cutting Travis Hunter's role in half.

A Jaguars representative confirmed on the show that Hunter is set to play both sides of the ball again, and that his injury does not change that.

"Absolutely not," came the answer when Rich asked if the two-way experiment was over. "He is set to play both sides of the ball."

The interesting wrinkle is not whether Hunter plays defense. It is how much more defense he plays.

"The piece that I think we can expect to see is actually an uptick in corner usage," the representative said. Last season leaned more heavily toward wide receiver snaps. That balance is expected to shift.

The reasoning is roster-driven rather than a reaction to anything Hunter did on offense. The Jaguars have a different cornerback room than they did a year ago.

"The bodies are different than they were a year ago," the representative said. "Our roster construction is different than it was a year ago. So it's more fitting to slot him in at corner in a different way than it was at this time last year."

The team was also clear that none of this dampens his offensive role. The cornerback count goes up. The receiver workload is not being cut to make room.

As for what Hunter himself wants, the answer was the simplest part of the conversation.

"He wants to play both ways," the representative said. "That's his dream, and we'll look to support that in the best way that we can."

The team framed Hunter at his best as a player with the ball in his hands or matched up against elite receivers, and called the two-way plan "an exciting element" they expect to pay off.

"We look forward to bringing that all to life here in the upcoming season," the representative said.