T
ravis Hunter is making his presence known in 2026. After an injury-riddled rookie season that ended prematurely because of a knee injury, Hunter is back healthy this year and proving why the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select him. A two-way star in college, Hunter is playing mostly defense but is quickly becoming a cornerstone for Jacksonville's defense.
Hunter has caught just six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown this season, limiting his impact on the offense. After going without a catch for the fourth time this season, Hunter faces questions about his future as a two-way player. In today's NFL, two-way players are rare, especially with the demand that comes with it. Speaking to Darius Slay on The NFL Today+ pregame show on Sunday, Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey gave his take on Hunter's future as a two-way player.
Bailey understands why Hunter is adamant about playing both ways, starting his career as a two-way player in college himself. But at the same time, he acknowledged how hard it is to do that consistently in the NFL. Bailey sees Hunter's potential, but does not know if it's sustainable for him to do it his entire career.
"The moment he [Travis Hunter] steps on the field, you see the potential and how much he can make an impact. I think, you know, my stance, because I know he's very adamant about playing both ways," Bailey said . "And I understand that because I had that same mentality coming into the league," Bailey said, per NFL on CBS's October 31 X post. "Problem is, can he do it at one time? I just know at some point there's going to be one or the other."
Hunter won the Heisman Trophy in 2024, the first defensive player since Charles Woodson in 1997. In his final season at Colorado , he led the nation in snaps played (nearly 1,400–382 more than the next player) and registered 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns on offense and 36 tackles and four interceptions on defense. He made it clear entering the NFL that he wanted to play both sides of the ball, but he may need to focus on one position to enjoy a long career.
Hunter might not be making the impact on offense that he was hoping for, but that does not mean he has not shown flashes of his two-way skillset. In a Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans in London, Hunter registered four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown, and became the first player since Brian Dawkins in 2002 to make a real impact on both sides of the ball in a game. Bailey saw that game and admitted that even though it might be hard for him to be a consistent two-way player, his talent might force the Jaguars to continue utilizing him in every way they can.
"I don't want him to be a guy that can make impact every now and then. I want him to be in a position where he can impact the game, you know, at a position that he feels most comfortable," Bailey said . "But when you watch the game he played against Houston, you're like, man, like you really don't know anything. What you should do with him. It's like you want him to do everything because he's so good at everything."
The Jaguars are coming off of a 42-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, improving to 5-2 on the season. Next up is a big game on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9 on Thursday Night Football. Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. local time on Prime Video.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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