“Average a*s receiver”: Rex Ryan blasts Jaguars for mishandling Travis Hunter in his first NFL game

Former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan did not hold back after watching Travis Hunter’s NFL debut for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The highly anticipated rookie, selected second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, was expected to make an immediate impact.

However, Ryan was far from impressed by how the Jaguars chose to deploy Hunter in their Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

Rex Ryan criticizes Jaguars for "wasting" Travis Hunter’s defensive talent

Travis Hunter, known for his defensive prowess in college as a cornerback, took the field for 44 offensive snaps in his debut, catching six passes for 33 yards. On defense, he played just six snaps and made a single tackle. Ryan expressed frustration at the decision to prioritize Hunter’s role on offense rather than defense.

"Not going to happen, man, are you kidding me?" Ryan exclaimed. He emphasized the difficulty of finding elite corners compared to receivers, adding, "Look at the offense, he's out there for 44 snaps, on defense, played six plays in on one tackle. Hey, Jacksonville, what are you doing?"Ryan reminded that the Jaguars invested a first-round pick to acquire Hunter, arguing they should "put him as a starter corner and let him make a difference at corner."

He warned, "You're going to end up getting an average a*s receiver and an average a*s corner" if they continue splitting his role.

Jaguars’ head coach explains decision as injury management

In response to the backlash, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen defended the strategy, explaining that Hunter missed 10 days of practice due to injury. Coen said, "There were a lot of different kinds of coverage changes in the back end." He insisted that Hunter’s defensive role will expand over time, suggesting that the plan is still evolving.Also Read: Why Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce decided to skip the 2025 MTV VMAs amid career transitions and personal downtimeAs the debate heats up, many will closely watch how the Jaguars continue to develop their prized rookie in the coming weeks.