Hunter Jr. Scores and Intercepts in Jaguars Loss
Travis Hunter Jr. becomes one of the few players to score and intercept a touchdown in the same NFL game after Jaguars’ loss to Houston.
Jaguars general manager James Gladstone selected Travis Hunter Jr. with the first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft to build a franchise around two-way play. The team’s loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday in London provided the clearest evidence yet of that strategy’s potential. Hunter joined an exclusive group, recording both a touchdown reception and an interception in the same game. Despite the 34-31 defeat, the performance offered a glimpse of a player capable of impacting the scoreboard from either side of the ball.
Offensive contributions
Hunter’s touchdown reception came early in the fourth quarter, pulling Jacksonville within a field goal of Houston. The play featured a design that utilized Hunter in the offensive backfield. He worked to isolate a defender, cut inside off that leverage, and caught the pass in the end zone. The reception marked Hunter’s first of the season and his second in the NFL. He finished the game with four catches for 59 yards, his best receiving output of his career.
The usage on offense has shifted compared to last season. Last year, Jacksonville relied on Hunter more on the offensive side of the ball, as he logged 324 offensive snaps, compared with just 162 defensive snaps. Entering Sunday’s game against the Texans, Hunter had just 21 offensive snaps compared to 249 defensive snaps, accounting for nearly 80% of Jacksonville’s plays on defense this season.
Defensive impact
Hunter recorded his inaugural NFL pick against New England earlier in the campaign, but the turnover he made versus Houston carried far more significance. The play unfolded in the end zone immediately after his scoring catch, halting the Texans’ next possession and preserving a late-game tie. That interception not only nullified Houston’s scoring opportunity but also handed Jacksonville a chance to either equalize or seize the lead as the clock wound down. Here is another look at Hunter’s interception of C.J. Stroud:
[Media: https://twitter.com/NFL/status/2111857780386603214] Hunter became just the third player since the 1960s, and the first since Brian Dawkins in 2002, to both catch a touchdown and have an interception in the same game:
