Travis Hunter a big reason why Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chiefs is on Monday Night Football
Travis Hunter will be showcased this season, especially when the Jacksonville Jaguars face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
Despite finishing the season with the fifth-worst record (by draft order), Jacksonville was not among the three teams not to receive a prime-time game (Thursday, Sunday or Monday Night Football). The Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns each do not have a prime-time game.
Advertisement
Tennessee picked first, while the Saints and Browns picked behind the Jaguars after finishing with a better record last season.
SEASON RECORD PREDICTION: Jacksonville Jaguars 2025 game-by-game predictions following schedule release
So, why would the NFL schedule a Monday Night Football game for Jacksonville a year after they looked uncompetitive in a 47-10 MNF game against the Bills last year?
In part, because of Hunter, NFL executives told members of the media during a post-NFL schedule release conference call.
Travis Hunter plays role in Jaguars landing MNF game vs. Chiefs
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 10: Travis Hunter #12 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks on during Jacksonville Jaguars Rookie Minicamp at Miller Electric Center on May 10, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by)
Many speculated in the immediate aftermath of Jacksonville's move to acquire Hunter that the franchise would receive a bit of an interest hike due to Hunter's national and global popularity.
Advertisement
Hunter has more than 500,000 subscribers on YouTube and more than 100,000 followers on Twitch, making him one of the most popular players in the league already.
For the Jaguars, that gave the NFL an extra push to place them in prime time early in the season.
"I think we kind of saw a mix of games coming up across the prime-time schedule. We started to see the Kansas City-Jacksonville game land very frequently on Monday Night Football. We saw it landing fairly early in the season, and we really like that," NFL vice president, broadcast Onnie Bose said Thursday when asked about the league's thought process.
The NFL schedule release date has changed from pre-draft to post-draft in the last couple of years. In 2019, for instance, the NFL schedule was released on April 17, about a week before the 2019 NFL Draft. If the schedule had been released pre-draft, the league may not have anticipated Hunter to in Jacksonville.
Advertisement
"That is a benefit of the shift of this timeline and the schedule now coming out, really in two, now three weeks after the draft and post-draft, we were seeing that game there. And we really liked the idea of, you know, a few games under his belt and getting a prime-time appearance against the Chiefs," Bose explained.
Hunter will have played in four games ahead of the team's Week 5 matchup against the Chiefs. Jacksonville's early philosophy with Hunter's play-time percentage when it comes to offense and defense remains to be seen, but the team is allowing him to learn both sides of the football and anticipates him playing that way throughout the year.
The Jaguars began that process earlier this month during rookie minicamp when Hunter stuck to the offensive side of the ball, giving him a chance to first learn the NFL nuances that come with playing receiver. He will play on the defensive side of the football when the team begins Organized Team Activities next week.
Hunter has a chance to become the first player since Chuck Bednarik to play full-time on both sides of the ball. Bednarik played center and linebacker for the Eagles from 1949 to 1962.
Advertisement
It's been so long since a player has done it that Hunter, who was born in 2003, won the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's top defender, last year.
Now, he has a chance to become one of the most popular players in football and he's already helped — at least in part — land Jacksonville, and himself, a moment in the spotlight.
"So, there absolutely was a role in terms of something that we were seeing in the overall jigsaw puzzle and liked where it was landing and felt good about it. It was not necessarily a determinant or driving factor. But, as we look at the overall schedule, it is a game we point to and feel like that's a great showcase opportunity, both for Travis himself and the Jaguars," Bose said.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius.
Advertisement
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider becoming a subscriber to support local journalism in Northeast Florida.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter factored in landing Jaguars Monday Night game vs. Chiefs
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
27 minutes ago
- USA Today
5 Tennessee Titans games named 'the least watchable' of 2025 season
When the NFL released the regular season schedule for 2025, many were shocked that the Tennessee Titans would not play any primetime games. While the league's spokesperson outlined the reasoning for this, it was still a bit of an outlier as compared to past league history. Of course, with no one knowing what to expect from the Titans in 2025, keeping them out of primetime may be the safest way to go for the NFL and the networks, who rely on viewership and advertising as part of their revenue stream. With many analysts predicting another horrid season ahead, the current excitement could easily disappear if the losses begin to pile up. Even before the start of the season, multiple Titans matchups have been named among the league's least watchable games. The matrix used analyzed every game, filtering it through an algorithm based on win-loss disparity, Super Bowl odds, and initial point spreads, and then allowed the computers to do their work. Giants, Browns, Titans Top 'Bottom' List The New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans each appear 5 times on our Top 25 Least Watchable Games list this season. Three Week 18 games fill out the bottom of the list. The Tennessee Titans game at Jacksonville in Week 18 rates as the least watchable of all the 272 NFL games this season. The Carolina Panthers game across the state of Florida during Week 18 and the in-state rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns are close behind. When it's all over, the Titans will join the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns with five games on top of the least watchable games list on their schedule. That includes the league's least watchable game of the season, as released by their computers, the Week 18 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The other least watchable games are against the Arizona Cardinals (Week 5), Las Vegas Raiders (Week 6), and San Francisco 49ers (Week 15). Ironically, all Titans road games in 2025, an incredible feat for a team that hasn't won a home game in regulation since the 2023 season. Luckily, there are many things that must still play out before the first snap is taken this year, and things will change across the league. There are still player additions, injuries, and a myriad of other questions that must be answered during training camp before an accurate assessment can be made, especially for a young team like the Titans. Right now, this should be viewed as more bulletin board material as they prepare for the season.
USA Today
27 minutes ago
- USA Today
John Harbaugh's legendary career gets its due with eye-opening HC ranking
The proper respect is given to the Ravens' John Harbaugh in a recent ranking of NFL head coaches. Whenever we discuss the Baltimore Ravens' rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers, we mention bruised bodies and longtime animosity. We mention legends and Pro Football Hall of Famers, and though we talk about the longevity of two great head coaches, we probably don't delve into what they have accomplished often enough. No two current leaders of any two football teams have met at midfield to exchange postgame handshakes more often than John Harbaugh and Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin. In total, they've locked horns 38 times, and it will be a long time before any two meet or exceed their number. Harbaugh enters year 18 as Ravens head coach. His tenure is second only to, you guessed it, Mike Tomlin. He enters year 19. John Harbaugh lands third on Pro Football Network's ranking of NFL head coaches. Time has flown. Though he still looks like he is in his twenties, Harbaugh's near-20-year run enters another season with much on the line. The same is true for Tomlin. The Steelers will be expected to qualify for postseason contention as well. Their annual pair of clashes will have much to say about where they are seeded. Pro Football Network's Brandon Austin recently ranked the NFL's head coaches. These two rivals both earned top-ten rankings. Tomlin lands at seven. Harbaugh is ranked third. Here's Austin's reasoning behind placing John among the top three. "John Harbaugh has been a model of consistency since taking over as the Baltimore Ravens' head coach in 2008. A Super Bowl champion, Harbaugh has delivered double-digit win seasons in six of the past seven years, with just one losing record since 2016... Harbaugh's adaptability is one of his greatest strengths. He won with Joe Flacco. Then, once Lamar Jackson arrived, he and the staff reshaped the team around his unique skill set, and it worked faster than many expected." No lies have been told so far. Let's continue... "Harbaugh has stood the test of time, battling in two separate loaded AFC eras. He went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger. Now, he's perennially challenging Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow for conference supremacy." Coach Harbaugh is only exceeded on this list by Andy Reid and Sean McVay. Nick Sirianni (ranked fourth) and Dan Campbell (fifth) round out the top five. Kyle Shanahan (sixth), Jim Harbaugh (eighth), Matt LaFleur (ninth), and Sean Payton (tenth) round out the top ten. Typically, when we discuss the brilliance of what we see on the sidelines weekly, Harbaugh isn't brought up. Some see that as being disrespectful. That's understandable, but perhaps this happiness serves another purpose. Could an argument be made that John Harbaugh is so good that he is taken for granted? Don't worry. Another Vince Lombardi Trophy will place him in rare air. He'll have a chance to win one next February as, thanks to his leadership, Baltimore will again be among the AFC's top Super Bowl contenders.
USA Today
27 minutes ago
- USA Today
Stat experts bring one of the Ravens top 2026 draft needs into focus
PFF paints a crystal clear picture of one of the Baltimore Ravens' top draft needs. The offseason has progressed relatively swiftly, don't you agree? It wasn't that long ago that we discussed the prospects that the Baltimore Ravens might be interested in during the Senior Bowl and the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Then came Top 30 Visits and Pro Days. The NFL Draft followed. 11 new faces were added. This came after wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, linebacker Jake Hummel, quarterback Cooper Rush, and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie were acquired during free agency. More signings followed, including Joseph Notebloom on May 3 and Jaire Alexander just after the midpoint of June. We have also gotten to know 21 undrafted rookie free-agent additions. Rookie minicamp, OTAs, and a two-day mandatory minicamp are behind us. So, what do we discuss while we wait for training camp and the preseason? How about some way-too-early 2026 NFL Draft analysis? It appears that Pro Football Focus may have had the same idea. Pro Football Focus pulls the curtain back on one of the Ravens' top draft needs. It seemed like it was just yesterday that Malaki Starks was introduced as one of the newest Ravens after Baltimore made him the 27th pick in the first round of the most recent selection meeting. He is coming along nicely. He and Kyle Hamilton will team to form one of the NFL's best one-two punches at the safety position. Baltimore's roster is stacked, but there is always room for more talent. Pro Football Focus recently offered an interesting 2026 NFL Draft take, one area every NFL team needs to think about. Trevor Sikkema is the writer of this one. Here's what he had to say on the subject. "Henry earned the highest PFF rushing grade of his career (93.1) during his age-31 season. He signed a contract extension that added two more years to his deal, but we know how it goes with running backs — when they decline, they often do so quickly. The question is: Is Henry's successor on the roster?" Henry's generous grade from PFF follows his second-highest single-season rushing total. He was just 79 yards shy of a second 2,000-yard rushing season. Sikkema continued: "Justice Hill has been more of a third-down back and is approaching 30 years old himself. Keaton Mitchell looked great in 2023, leading the league in yards after contact per attempt (5.68), but tore his ACL late in the year. Rasheen Ali has yet to get significant time in the rotation." While Henry is expected to hang around for a while, adding more talent to the offensive backfield isn't a bad idea. Jeremiyah Love, Quintrevion Wisner, Makhi Hughes, and Le'Veon Moss will be among the highly-touted tailback prospects when the calendar rolls around to next April.
