Is Coach Prime to blame? Deion Sanders breaks his silence as critics label Travis Hunter a "fiasco"

Deion Sanders has addressed the growing debate surrounding Travis Hunter, whose slow start to his second NFL season has raised fresh questions about Jacksonville’s handling of the former Colorado superstar.

Speaking with Romi Bean , Sanders kept his comments measured and refused to speculate about the Jaguars’ decisions. He explained that he isn’t around the team and doesn’t know what happens behind closed doors.

Still, Sanders made it clear that his belief in Hunter hasn’t changed. He said he knows who Hunter was, who he is now and, most importantly, what he’s capable of.

“I don’t ask questions because I’m not there,” Sanders said. “I don’t know what transpires when we’re not looking. I have no idea what’s going on. I know who he was and who he is right now. I know what he’s capable. Yeah. I do know that.”

That confidence is significant because Hunter’s NFL role looks very different from the one that made him one of college football’s most unique players. During his Heisman-winning 2024 season at Colorado, Hunter posted 1,258 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions while handling major responsibilities on both sides of the ball.

Critics, including Jason Whitlock, have now brought Sanders back into the conversation. Whitlock argued that Sanders helped sell Hunter as a historic two-way player when he might have been better positioned to focus primarily on becoming a shutdown corner.

“Say it with me. Travis Hunter is a bust. He’s a good kid. Deion sold him as a 2-way player and making history…. instead of selling him as ‘go be a shutdown corner’ and maybe play a handful of offensive snaps,” wrote Whitlock .

The statistics, however, explain why the discussion has become difficult to ignore. Hunter played 67% of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps during his injury-shortened rookie season, catching 28 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown. He also contributed defensively before an LCL injury ended his season after seven games.

Jacksonville is now reconsidering Hunter’s role

Through the first two games of 2026, Hunter’s workload has fallen sharply. He has played only 10 offensive snaps, accounting for roughly 9% of Jacksonville’s offensive total. He has one reception for eight yards and one three-yard rush. Defensively, he’s seen roughly 60% of the snaps.

The situation became even more noticeable against Denver. Hunter played seven offensive snaps and wasn’t targeted once, while logging 37 defensive snaps. Jacksonville ultimately lost 20-13, adding more attention to the team’s decision-making and its limited use of one of its biggest offensive weapons.

That usage is especially intriguing because the Jaguars traded up to No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft specifically with the intention of making Hunter a genuine two-way player.

Head coach Liam Coen has now indicated that Jacksonville could increase Hunter’s involvement on offense. Following the Denver loss, Coen said the team would look for different ways to get Hunter involved, while acknowledging the challenge of balancing his responsibilities on both sides of the ball.

"Any time you struggle offensively, specifically, you look at the totality of it all, and Travis is a big part of that obviously that we're looking at continuing to find different ways to get him involved," Coen told reporters.