The Jacksonville Jaguars kick off the season against the Cleveland Browns in "The Travis Hunter Bowl," looking to prove that last season was no fluke.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be kicking off their 2026 season Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
The dawning of a new season is exciting enough, but Sunday's opener also marks the return of Jaguars' second-year phenom Travis Hunter, who was lost for the year after only seven games last year with a knee injury.
Hunter very easily could have been playing against the Jaguars Sunday, not for them.
The Browns had the second pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. After the Tennessee Titans selected Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the first pick, most expected Cleveland to draft Hunter, whose two-way ability made him one of the most exciting prospects to ever enter the league.
Instead, Jacksonville paid a king's ransom to move up from the fifth pick so they could draft Hunter. Though the full effects of the trade won't be known for years, it is fair to say it will be a huge factor in the future of both teams.
Sunday's opener will be the first game between the two teams since consummating the draft day trade.
What are the key factors that will determine who wins "The Travis Hunter Bowl"? And what can we expect from Hunter in his first game back?
Quarterbacks On Different Trajectories
The Jaguars and Browns enter this game with quarterbacks on totally different trajectories. Trevor Lawrence took off last year in his first season under Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. The 2021 top overall pick had a career year and was an MVP finalist for the first time.
Doubt remains over whether Lawrence has truly become one of the NFL's best QBs. He will need to prove that last season was more than just a hot streak before he becomes a consensus top-10 (or better) quarterback. He has an opportunity to open the new season with an emphatic statement on Sunday.
On the other side, the Browns are trotting out Deshaun Watson after he won an open competition against Shedeur Sanders to be the starter, in an effort to salvage something positive from the ill-fated trade that landed the former star in Cleveland four years ago.
Suspensions and injuries have led to Watson playing only 19 games for the Browns since the trade.
After being one of the best and most exciting players in the league while with the Houston Texans, Watson has spiraled into possibly the NFL's worst starting QB during his rare on-field appearances with the Browns. His fall from grace will be analyzed for years to come.
Lawrence must thoroughly outplay Watson on Sunday, or he risks the whispers of last season being an outlier growing louder.
Turnovers
Under new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, the Jaguars were a turnover-forcing machine in 2025.
The defense recorded 31 takeaways last season, good for second-most in the NFL. Jacksonville had a plus-13 turnover margin and led the league with 110 points scored off turnovers.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes the Jaguars' ability to take the ball away won't be sustainable this year, and cites that as his main factor in believing Jacksonville will decline this season.
The Jaguars are the much better team heading into Sunday. If they take care of the ball against Cleveland's impressive defense and win the turnover margin, it should lead to a victory.
Travis Hunter
It would be wrong if Travis Hunter wasn't one of the key factors in "The Travis Hunter Bowl."
Hunter will be playing his first game in 11 months after tearing his LCL during a bye-week practice last October. How will he respond? How much rust will there be? What kind of jitters will he have?
Not to mention, his primary position has switched from wide receiver to cornerback, where his potential is enormous. Hunter had only 15 total tackles and three PBUs in his limited time on defense as a rookie.
He will be looking to snag his first career interception off Watson, and will be hoping to make the Browns look foolish for passing up the chance to draft him.
Running Game
Jacksonville's running game has been at the root of the team being doubted and dismissed by analysts all offseason.
Sunday gives the duo of Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. its first chance to prove the critics wrong. Tuten has game-breaking speed and is hoping to be more involved in the passing game than he was as a rookie last year.
Rodriguez, Jacksonville's biggest free agent signing, is a bruiser who brings a physical style to the Jaguars' backfield it has been lacking.
The pair gets a tough test against a stout Browns' defense that still looks like one of the NFL's best despite trading away Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse, one of the best young defensive linemen in the league, and a bunch of draft picks.
Final Thoughts
The Jaguars are looking to prove their doubters wrong and show they are not a one-year wonder.
Opening at home against the lowly Browns gives Jacksonville a great chance to start the season off on a high note.
The Jaguars are clearly the better team going into this game and must avoid turnovers and other mistakes that could lead to a major upset.
Lawrence looks to begin an MVP-worthy season against a strong defense. If he performs well and takes care of the ball, he should be able to lead his team to victory.
Prediction: Jaguars 31, Browns 13
