When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select two-way star Travis Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft, there was a serious debate as to whether or not he could physically hold up playing both sides of the ball in the NFL.
After having his rookie season cut short due to a season-ending injury, that debate still rages on. Especially after the Jaguars made it clear he is going to focus more on the defensive side of the ball in training camp and this season.
But none of that is stopping Hunter from wanting to never leave the field.
Literally.
Jaguars’ Travis Hunter still wants to play every snap
Hunter told NFL.com’s Judy Battista that he wants to play “all” of the snaps each week, and that he can not leave the field.
Hunter was sensational as a wide receiver and cornerback at both Jackson State and Colorado during his college days, ultimately winning the Heisman Trophy in 2025.
That made him one of the most fascinating, and potentially most valuable, draft prospects in recent memory, with the Jaguars paying a steep price to move up to the No. 2 overall pick to select him.
He attempted to play both sides of the ball as a rookie with mixed results.
He caught 28 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown on offense, while recording 15 tackles on defense before his season came to an end halfway through.
The plan this season has been to have him focus more on the defensive side of the ball, but he is still seeing snaps at both positions throughout camp. It seems like a virtual certainty that will continue in the regular season. It’s just a question of how many snaps he gets.
It will not be all of them.
As talented as Hunter is, and as good as he can be at both positions, there is a reason there have been so few examples of two-way players in the modern game, and certainly not to the extent that Hunter is trying to play.
Players like Deion Sanders (Hunter’s college coach at both Jackson State and Colorado) and Charles Woodson saw limited snaps on offense throughout their careers, but it was never quite on a full-time basis the way Hunter is trying.
There is also a world of difference between successfully doing it in college versus trying to do it in the NFL every Sunday.
Even if he can play limited snaps both ways, and play them well, it makes him one of the most valuable players in the league because you are essentially filling two roster spots with one player. But he still has to show he can do that and hold up over the course of a full NFL season.
