Travis Hunter committed a defensive penalty late in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals that cost the Jacksonville Jaguars a win, but the call was highly questionable.
The Bengals were trailing 27-24 and had 4th-and-5 at their own 33-yard line with under two minutes remaining at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Backup quarterback Jake Browning, who was playing after Joe Burrow exited with an injury, threw a deep pass down the right sideline to Andrei Iosivas. Hunter had tight coverage and got a hand on the ball, but he was flagged for pass interference.
The official felt Hunter made too much contact before getting his body turned around. Hunter and the Jaguars strongly disagreed.
Travis Hunter flagged for pass interference pic.twitter.com/hIZJqPQ9GD
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) September 14, 2025
Rather than a turnover on downs that would have all but ended the game, the call gave the Bengals a fresh set of downs at the Jacksonville 42-yard line. Cincinnati went on to score a touchdown on the drive and won the game.
Pass interference typically needs to be blatant for an official to throw a flag in a situation like that. Hunter definitely got his head around at the last second, which was how he was able to locate the ball and knock the pass away.
You can understand why the Jaguars were upset over the call.
