What is Travis Hunter's Future As 2-Way Player? Latest Buzz After Surgery on Injury

After Jacksonville Jaguars star rookie Travis Hunter underwent season-ending knee surgery on Tuesday, there are questions about his two-way role with the Jaguars moving forward. head coach Liam Coen is

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, citing sources, reported on Sunday that "Jacksonville does, in fact, plan to continue to deploy Hunter as their top wide receiver and matchup cornerback moving forward."

However, head coach Liam Coen was in no rush to map out Hunter's role for next year. Per ESPN's Michael DiRocco, Coen was asked on Wednesday if Hunter will remain a two-way player moving forward, and he said those discussions won't be held regarding the rookie wide receiver/cornerback until the offseason.

"I understand there's a lot of questions about if he'll remain a two-way player and all those kind of things," Coen said. "All of that is very premature and at the end of the day, like every player on this roster, he'll be evaluated at the end of the season and we'll be able to give him his three better, three best and the things that we need to continue to improve upon and the things we need to build on."

Hunter was ruled out for the remainder of the year after undergoing surgery to repair the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. He finished the season with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown on offense and 15 total tackles and three passes defended on defense in seven games. DiRocco noted that the 22-year-old played 67 percent of the team's offensive snaps and 36 percent of the defensive snaps before being sidelined.

Coen wouldn't go as far as saying that he still expects Hunter to be Jacksonville's No. 1 receiver and No. 1 cornerback upon his return, but he explained that the team plans to study how he was used in his seven games this year to determine his best course for 2026.

"I definitely think the whole process, the whole thing's been a learning experiment," he said. "But getting to know the person has obviously been the most important thing and the type of competitor, the way that he learns, the way that he competes, the way that he practices, that stuff that we've been able to gain valuable information on and be able to use moving forward and actually put in a continued practice."

The Jaguars moved up from No. 5 to select Hunter with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft in a trade with the Cleveland Browns that also included their 2026 first-round pick, so the team has a lot invested in the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner. Jacksonville's top priority will be to figure out how to keep Hunter on the field and maximize his two-way skills during the 2026 season.

For now, the Jaguars (5-4) will focus on their preparation for Sunday's showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers (7-3).