JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Travis Hunter’s professional debut included 10 snaps on offense, eight on defense and no highlights.
The Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick in the NFL draft was relatively quiet in Jacksonville’s 31-25 loss to Pittsburgh in a preseason game Saturday. He caught two passes for 9 yards, with a long gain of 6, and missed an open-field tackle.
“I felt great,” he said. “A little nervous, but it felt great. It definitely settled down when I got the first catch, really when the first play started.”
Hunter did, however, have a front-row seat for the most exciting play of the night: Cam Little drilled a 70-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, a kick that would have broken the NFL record had it happened during the regular season.
“Adrenaline is a beautiful thing,” said Little, whose phone was filled with texts and messages. “It does (stink) (that it doesn’t count). That means we just have to go out there and make it again.”
Still, Little is keeping the ball — even if the Pro Football Hall of Fame calls.
“Heck, yeah,” he said. “Are you kidding me. … That ball is staying with me. Canton, Ohio, can get another ball.”
Little and the Jaguars celebrated widely as the half ended. Holder Logan Cooke lifted both arms shortly after the ball took flight. Little leaned forward a little and then raised an arm as it cleared the crossbar.
Cooke pushed Little to start the party, and then Hunter greeted Little on the field with a midair body-bump.
Baltimore’s Justin Tucker holds the NFL mark, having made a 66-yarder at Detroit in 2021.
Little, a sixth-round draft pick from Arkansas in 2024, made 27 of 29 field-goal attempts as a rookie and all 27 extra points. His long was 59 yards.
He seemed to know his latest one was good from the onset. He watched intently and pumped his fist as it slid a little left and cleared the bar by several yards — far enough that the ball boy caught it.
The Steelers had much more to talk about after their preseason opener even though most of their starters watched from the sideline. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receiver DK Metcalf, linebacker T.J. Watt and cornerback Jalen Ramsey were among the Pittsburgh stars who got the night off.
They witnessed backup Mason Rudolph complete 9 of 10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Rudolph carved up Jacksonville’s starting defense on Pittsburgh’s opening drive. Third-stringer Skylar Thompson was just as good in relief, throwing for 233 yards and three scores.
“I was super excited to get out and compete today,” said Thompson, who spent the past three years in Miami.
“Coming into a new organization, a new team, kind of a little bit of a fresh start for me. I was excited to go play some football and help out my teammates. Definitely did that today.”
Pittsburgh’s first two QBs combined to complete 29 of 38 passes for 317 yards and four TDs, with no turnovers.
Jaguars first-year coach Liam Coen may have wanted a restart before Little’s kick. His offense was flagged twice on its opening drive and hampered by four dropped passes in the first half. Parker Washington, Tank Bigsby, Trenton Irwin and Hunter Long all let balls slip through their fingers. And Coen’s first-team defense was gashed early.
Lawrence returns
Trevor Lawrence, playing in his first game since sustaining a harrowing concussion against Houston last December, completed 6 of 7 passes for 43 yards in a series of work. Lawrence’s one incompletion was a ball thrown late down the field to Brian Thomas Jr. He also scrambled for a 3-yard gain that ended with a hard hit.
Flipping out
Steelers rookie Max Hurleman, who signed as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, celebrated his 3-yard TD catch in the second quarter with a backflip. It was a clear sign of Hurleman’s athleticism.
He spent four years playing running back at Colgate before joining the Fighting Irish and switching to defensive back for his final collegiate season. He’s back at running back now and trying to make Pittsburgh’s roster as a backup and a special teams ace.
Up next
The Steelers host Tampa Bay in another exhibition next Saturday; the Jaguars play at New Orleans next Sunday.
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