- Travis Hunter starts on offense and defense: Hunter became the first NFL player to accomplish this since 2008.
- Tyquan Thornton fights for his role: Thornton has dropped to fourth on the depth chart with Xavier Worthy’s return, but he still led the team in receiving and should continue to have a role in the offense moving forward.
The weekly Travis Hunter update: The Jaguars expanded Hunter’s role in Week 5, starting him on both offense and defense.
On offense, the Jaguars continued to feature Hunter heavily in three-wide receiver sets. He had already played 84.1% of snaps in 11 personnel through the first four weeks and was even more consistently used in that package this game—playing 100% of 11 personnel snaps in the first half. Notably, Hunter also saw his first action in two-wide receiver sets. He hadn’t been used in that personnel grouping at all during the preseason or regular season until now, as the Jaguars had been easing him into the offense by starting with 11 personnel. While it was only a few plays, it signals a potential expansion of his offensive role moving forward.
Hunter had a quiet first half with just a 12-yard reception, but he made a highlight-reel 44-yard catch early in the second half. That play alone set a new career high for receiving yards.
Hunter made history by starting on both offense and defense, becoming the first NFL player to do so in a single game since 2008. He lined up in five-plus defensive back sets on the first two defensive drives before sitting out the next three. He returned in the middle of the third quarter for the sixth and seventh drives, continuing to play at left cornerback—his usual spot when featured on defense.
While Hunter still isn’t seeing enough targets to justify a spot in most fantasy lineups, this performance was a step in the right direction after a quiet few weeks.
Monitor Brenton Strange’s health: Strange suffered a hip injury late in the first half and didn’t return.
Strange started the game and played 22 of the Jaguars’ first 26 snaps, an 85% rate that marked a slight uptick from his previous usage. He hauled in one catch for 22 yards before exiting the game. The injury wasn’t apparent at the time—it didn’t occur on a target and didn’t result in a stoppage—but he missed the final plays of Jacksonville’s first touchdown drive and the two-minute drill. He was ruled questionable at halftime and officially ruled out early in the fourth quarter.
To replace him, the Jaguars leaned on Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long. Mundt primarily handled run-blocking duties, while Long saw more work in passing situations. Jacksonville also promoted Quintin Morris to the 53-man roster ahead of the game, and he joined the rotation in three-tight end sets.
If Strange misses time, Long is the most likely candidate to see an uptick in usage, but he’s unlikely to match Strange’s production due to limited playing time and receiving ability. Unless you’re in a very deep league where all starting tight ends are rostered, you’re probably better off looking elsewhere on the waiver wire.
Tyquan Thornton fights for a larger role: Thornton led the Chiefs in receiving yards, hauling in three explosive receptions for a total of 90 yards.
Kansas City began the season with Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and JuJu Smith-Schuster as their top three wide receivers. Worthy’s early injury in Week 1 opened the door for Tyquan Thornton to step into the No. 3 role, and he capitalized by recording a reception of at least 30 yards and a touchdown in each of his first three games.
Worthy’s return in Week 4 pushed Thornton down the depth chart, limiting him to just 34.2% of the offensive snaps. Smith-Schuster led the group at 78%, with Worthy easing back in at 59%. Jalen Royals also made his debut on offense, logging 19% of snaps, raising questions about Thornton’s future role.
However, in Week 5, despite Worthy’s increased workload, Thornton saw more playing time than the week prior. Royals and Smith-Schuster were the two receivers who saw reduced roles, suggesting that Thornton remains in the team’s plans.
With Rashee Rice set to return from suspension in Week 7, the wide receiver rotation could become more crowded. But Thornton has played well enough to remain involved—potentially logging 50% of snaps even after Rice’s return. This could mean a reduced role for Smith-Schuster or Brown. While Thornton isn’t seeing enough volume to be a consistent fantasy starter, his usage on deep targets could begin to eat into Worthy’s fantasy value.
Miscellaneous Notes
Table Notes
- Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
- Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
- Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.
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