Hunter Debut Gains Spotlight in Steelers Jaguars Preseason

A closer look at the Steelers vs Jaguars preseason game highlighting standout plays and depth chart signals.

Hunter Debut Gains Spotlight as Little Delivers 70-Yard Kick

Jacksonville hosted Pittsburgh in a preseason opener, and the Jaguars fell 31-25. Travis Hunter, the Heisman winner and second overall pick, appeared on offense for 10 plays and on defense for eight but did not produce big numbers. He caught two passes for 9 yards and faced a couple of rough moments, including an open-field tackle miss. The night’s loud moment came from Cam Little, who knocked in a 70 yard field goal as the first half expired. The kick would have set an NFL long distance mark in the regular season, and Little celebrated with a brief pose and a ball that would later be kept as a memento by the rookie.

On offense, Pittsburgh leaned on depth. Mason Rudolph went 9 of 10 for 84 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive, while Skylar Thompson added 233 yards passing and three scores in relief. The Steelers finished 29 of 38 through the air for 317 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers from the top two QBs. Trevor Lawrence worked a early Jaguars drive after sitting out most of last season with a concussion, going 6 of 7 for 43 yards. Jacksonville also dealt with drops early, as receivers Parker Washington, Tank Bigsby, Trenton Irwin and Hunter Long let several passes slip through. Defensively, the Jaguars appeared vulnerable to early Steelers gains, while Pittsburgh’s depth showed promise, including Max Hurleman from Notre Dame who scored a 3 yard TD after a college position switch. The teams will wrap up preseason play next weekend, with Pittsburgh hosting Tampa Bay and Jacksonville traveling to New Orleans.

The game underscored how preseason rosters will shape up behind the stars. Pittsburgh’s quarterback depth looks promising, with Rudolph and Thompson delivering efficient drives and no turnovers. For Jacksonville, early execution issues and dropped passes underline the work still needed to build timing with Lawrence and the pass catchers. The result is less important than what it reveals about player development and potential depth charts as teams sort through pilots for the season ahead.

Coaches will study film on receivers who slipped catches and on players like Hurleman who can contribute in multiple spots. Hunter’s quiet NFL exposure raises questions about how soon he can translate college hype into regular season impact for the Jaguars. Little’s record flash shows how a single play can become a talking point in a tournament where every inch matters and nothing is final until the games truly count.

Highlights

The next preseason games will test whether the early spark translates