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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen gave a curious answer regarding Travis Hunter's future as a two-way wide receiver and cornerback while addressing his surgery to repair an isolated lateral collateral ligament this week.
Hunter underwent season-ending surgery on Tuesday (November 11) and the Jaguars had previously said that he was expected to return to "full football activities" within six months, but Coen didn't appear to be committal on whether that would mean taking on both offensive and defensive roles.
“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 told reporters on Wednesday (November 12) via the New York Post. “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.”
The Jaguars previously confirmed that Hunter underwent season-ending surgery in a statement re-shared by ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
"Earlier today, Jaguars WR/DB Travis Hunter underwent successful surgery to repair an isolated lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury in his right knee, the team announced," the team said. "Beyond the LCL, there was no additional damage to the knee, which Hunter injured during practice on Oct. 30.
"The procedure was performed by Dr. Don Cooper and Jaguars team physician, Dr. Kevin Kaplan, in Dallas.
"Hunter, 22, will miss the remainder of the 2025 season, but is expected to return within six months to full football activities."
Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was placed on injured serve on October 31. The former Heisman Trophy winner was coming off the best individual game of his rookie season, recording eight receptions for 101 yards and one touchdown in the Jaguars' October 19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London.
The Jaguars were planning to use Hunter as their No. 1 option at wide receiver amid Brian Thomas Jr.'s struggles during his second season.
“You definitely look at: How much more can he handle? How much more can we put him in a position to be successful on both offense and defense? And what does that look like?” Coen said via the Associated Press.