Shipley had strong words for his sports media establishment colleagues, accusing Jacksonville beat reporters of failing a literacy test and hallucinating a full-time move to cornerback. “At zero point have the Jaguars ever once indicated he will not play both ways, just as he did last year,” Shipley insisted. His rant continued by saying Jaguars HC Liam Coen has “embraced the disrespect” of reporters who wildly speculate on Jacksonville’s intentions.
Shipley did concede that “[Hunter] will play more cornerback.” Despite a 2025 campaign where he posted a modest 1.32 Yards Per Route Run and 10.5 Yards Per Reception before the injury, it would be rational if the Jaguars deploy sub-packages that leverage Hunter’s elite athleticism and dual-threat utility.
Hunter’s dynasty value has been in free-fall in 2026. Jacksonville’s wide receiver room is stocked with talent, but the offense is one injury away from needing Hunter’s versatility. His value is impossible to pinpoint, because he will not command the necessary targets to start in any fantasy league, but he possesses WR1 talent if the team ever decides to deploy him as a full-time receiver.
Sports Illustrated's John Shipley writes that Jacksonville ...
Jacksonville Jaguars two-way player Travis Hunter (knee) ...
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said ...
Travis Hunter will serve primarily as a cornerback for the Jaguars in 2026 while maintaining a minor role on offense. The transition is supported by the team’s existing depth at wide receiver, featuring Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers.
Ultimately, this move addresses a critical defensive need for Jacksonville following the departure of starting corner Greg Newsome in free agency. BUT this is truly devastating news for dynasty leaguers who invested valuable first round capital in Hunter less than 12 months ago.
Travis Hunter’s non-contact LCL surgery was a devastating “black swan” event for a generational talent. Despite a god-tier 19.4 Breakout Age (80th-percentile) and a 38.8% College Dominator (81st-percentile), HC Coen is already signaling a cornerback-first role that effectively nukes his path to becoming a high-volume fantasy option.
Fantasy managers are no longer chasing the “two-way” pipe dream as Hunter projects to be relegated to “select packages” on offense. Real talk: Hunter has no floor, and Jacksonville’s WR room is stocked with quality target competition limiting Hunter’s ceiling, so keep him stashed in dynasty and wait-and-see in best ball.
The latest report on Travis Hunter could shake up his dynasty outlook. According to NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe, the Jacksonville Jaguars are planning on deploying the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner full-time on defense, with only occasional snaps on offense. If that happens, it would be a major shift from his rookie season, where Hunter predominantly played as a receiver while moonlighting as a cornerback.
For fantasy, obviously, this would be a disaster for anyone who’s counting on Hunter to be a wideout. Unless you play in an IDP league, Hunter would lose most of his fantasy relevance if he’s logging most of his snaps on defense. For the Jaguars, it makes sense given their crowded WR room with Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington at WR, not to mention Brenton Strange as a weapon at TE. In 2025, Hunter appeared in only seven games before tearing his LCL, finishing his rookie year with 28 receptions for 298 yards and one TD. On defense, he had 15 tackles and three passes defensed.
Author: Wolf Trelles-Heard (@DynastyFFWolf )
Coen added that Hunter is “mentally tough” and has “attacked” his recovery the right way. He further notes that the Jaguars will “remain fluid” with where they need Hunter “on this day, or as a team”.
Hunter is coming off a disappointing fantasy season, averaging only 9.1 fantasy points per game. However, his usage in the offense was trending upward in the two games before his season-ending injury. He topped 40 routes per game in weeks 6 and 7 before injuring his knee in practice ahead of week 8. With Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Brian Thomas Jr. all under contract, the Jags may look to use Hunter more on defense in 2026. It appears as if Coen, much like fantasy players is still trying to figure out which side of the ball Hunter will play the most this upcoming season.
Author: Edward DeLauter (@ff_litigator)
The Jacksonville Jaguars placed Travis Hunter on season ending injured reserve. Hunter hasn’t played since week seven when he broke out with eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Hunter suffered a non-contact injury in practice and now it’s confirmed that it was an LCL injury. Hunter is expected to be ready for next season assuming no setbacks.
The Jaguars passing game has struggled this season and Hunter’s big game in week seven seemed like things were improving. Jacksonville added Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline and still have Brian Thomas Jr., but the Jaguars are likely to continue to disappoint in the passing game.
Author: David Leonard Jr. (@RealDelcoDave)
