Travis Hunter is something of an enigma for the Cincinnati Bengals to solve.
Hunter is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and a two-way-player phenomena for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who visit Paycor Stadium on Sept. 14 (1 p.m., CBS). Hunter stands as the modern NFL’s foremost example of a player who could be consistently effective on both sides of the ball − something the league arguably hasn’t seen since Deion Sanders, who coached Hunter at Jackson State and later at Colorado.
Several prominent names have had moments and one-off games where two-way attributes were utilized effectively. Even Sam Hubbard fits that category for his performance against the Tennessee Titans in December.
But doing so on a week-in, week-out basis is a different ask entirely. Hunter accomplished that at the college level. He’s attempting to do it at the NFL level, too, and his next assignment is against the Bengals in Week 2.
“That’s tough. It’s a physical league. Obviously, he’s not the biggest guy,” Bengals’ defensive back Jordan Battle said. “On offense, sometimes he has to block and that takes a toll on the body. The impact of blocking on defense, he’s going against the best of the best receivers. It’s tough.”
Since Hunter’s a rarity, how the Bengals deal with him could require some novel coaching and preparation. Also, part of what makes Hunter a challenging opponent is that it’s not altogether clear what the splits of his playing time will be.
Hunter’s snap count leaned heavily toward the offensive side in the Jaguars’ season-opening win against the Carolina Panthers. Hunter was on the field for 42 of 66 offensive snaps for Jacksonville. He made it count, too, as he notched a team-high six catches.
Hunter then received just six snaps defensively, but Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said he’ll likely increase Hunter’s playing time on that side of the ball.
Bengals coaches didn’t offer much in terms of how they intend to play Hunter, but they’re all aware of him.
“The good news is we only have to worry about the portion that he’s on offense,” Cincinnati defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “From that standpoint, you gotta know when he’s out there and just be aware of it. We may identify that personnel that way.”
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor heaped praise on Hunter.
“He’s a really good talent, you know?,” Taylor said. “He didn’t play a ton on defense, played mostly on offense. He’s got great quickness, you know, I think he’s got really top notch hands in terms of the balls he’s able to catch. Not easy to bring down. You can see the breakaway elements to him. He almost, almost, kind of got away with one in the last game, where you could see he’s got that element to break it away and make it a big play. And you saw that on his tape from Colorado. So a guy with a lot of confidence, you always felt the confidence to be able to play two positions, and they’ll keep, I’m sure, integrating them however they want to.”
Ja’Marr Chase, who could find himself lined up one-on-one with the rookie, said he wasn’t concerned about the possibility of seeing more of Hunter when the teams meet Sept. 14, adding that he respected Hunter.
“He’s a pure athlete. He can literally do it all,” Chase said. “He has a blessed opportunity. He’s still in the NFL… He’s mad athletic.”
Asked if he ever had a desire to be a two-way player, Chase said: “Too much running.”
As far as where he’ll fit on the all-time list of two-way players, well, we’re a long way out from determining that. But in terms of how he projects, Hunter doesn’t appear to be attempting to emulate the likes of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik, the hulking, linebacker-center who retired in 1962 as a renowned two-way player.
Rather, Hunter’s positions clearly point toward the Sanders mold. That could extend his longevity in the two-way role, too, but specialization on one side of the ball will be required at some point.
For now, the novelty attracts plenty of headlines and questions.
The Bengals’ respect for Hunter is clear but they also seem to be avoiding making too much of any one opposition player.
“We’ll line up and play against whatever 11 they throw out there,” Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “(Hunter is) obviously a dynamic player. They they used a lot of resources to acquire him, and so we’ll see.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How do the Bengals solve a problem like Jaguars’ Travis Hunter?
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
