Jaguars rumors: Why Travis Hunter is likely to play more cornerback in 2026

The questions about whether Jacksonville Jaguars standout Travis Hunter will play both ways have been many. His knee injury fueled the speculation. And now rumors are floating that he will play more at cornerback than receiver in 2026.

General manager James Gladstone said the contract situation with the team may necessitate Hunter playing more on the defensive side of the ball, according to ESPN.

“Corner is a position that we have a few guys who are on expiring contracts,” Gladstone said. “By default, you can expect there to be a higher emphasis on his placement [at corner].”

Corners Greg Newsome II, Montaric Brown, and Christian Braswell are all on expiring contracts.

What does 2026 look like for Jaguars’ Travis Hunter?

Certainly, there won’t be quite as much fanfare heading into the season. Before 2025 began, Hunter was hailed as a game-changing threat on both sides of the football.

He got picked No. 2 overall in the draft, and NFL “experts” seem to fall all over themselves. They talked about him being both a potential star at cornerback and receiver.

But the results on the field didn’t match those expectations. He turned out to be largely invisible on offense, catching 28 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown in seven games.nOn defense, he gave up a 50% completion percentage, had zero interceptions, and defended just three passes with 15 tackles.

Perhaps the team put too much on his plate from a two-position standpoint. And the Jaguars could remedy that situation.

“Hunter is primarily going to be a cornerback and have a package of plays on offense,” Michael DiRocco wrote. “What Gladstone does when free agency arrives will help clarify what the Jaguars will do with their two-way threat.”

Oddly enough, the Jaguars took off after Hunter’s injury. They were 4-3 at the time, but won nine of their last 10 games. If Hunter makes the kind of impact in Year 2 that the Jaguars hope for, this team could become one of the top three AFC threats to reach the Super Bowl.

But he will need to be a weapon on at least one side of the ball.

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