Jaguars to play starters, including Travis Hunter, vs. Steelers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter will make his professional debut playing both sides of the ball.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen said Thursday that Hunter and most of the team’s other starters will play in their preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night.

“Everybody’s going to play in this game,” Coen said. “A lot of the guys want to play. Two new systems on both sides of the ball. … You can do whatever you want, but everything leans that way in probably being the best thing for our team right now.”

The Steelers will play few starters in the game. Coen said he planned to connect with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin later Thursday to share his plan.

Coen said quarterback Trevor Lawrence, center Robert Hainsey and others expressed a desire to be on the field in at least the first preseason game. Lawrence hasn’t taken a snap in a live-ball situation since suffering a concussion against the Houston Texans in early December; he had season-ending shoulder surgery soon thereafter.

“I’ll be excited to get back out there,” Lawrence said. “It’s been a while, so anytime you can play — even preseason — it means something to get on that field.”

Lawrence is learning his third offensive system in five NFL seasons and has two new receivers — including Hunter — as well as two new offensive line starters. The Jaguars have several new faces on defense, too.

“All of that is kind of what points to (playing),” Coen said. “Look, if we had three (joint practices) and two days of work (within) each of those joints, we probably wouldn’t be playing (starters). That’s just kind of where we’re at. We’ve got to go and probably take advantage of these opportunities.”

All eyes will be on Lawrence and Hunter, who is trying to become the most diverse player in NFL history. The former Colorado star and the second overall pick in the NFL Draft is penciled in as a starting slot receiver and a backup cornerback in Jacksonville.

Hunter started switching sides of the ball in practice last week, the latest expansion of his dual role.

“He wants to prove people wrong,” fellow cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “I feel like that’s the type of mindset you have to have to go and be awesome and a competitor out here. Of course he has all the skillsets, but I think it’s the mental aspect of it that makes him different.

“He’s going to show you. He’s going to try to do it tenfold and put his best foot forward doing both things, and whatever they ask him to do, he’s going to do it at full speed. Like I said, his mental fortitude for it is unmatched.”