Travis Hunter’s Rookie Season Ending Early Sparks Debate on 2-Way Role – “Didn’t Even Last Half a Season”

Travis Hunter was on his way to silence his doubters with his performances for the Jacksonville Jaguars until his injury.

Travis Hunter’s Rookie Season Ending Early Sparks Debate on 2-Way Role – “Didn’t Even Last Half a Season”

Travis Hunter's rookie season is over (Image via Sleeper NFL/X)

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Travis Hunter entered the NFL with a lot of hype about how his ability to play both wide receiver and defensive back would revolutionize the league.

His exploits with the Colorado Buffaloes football team led the Jacksonville Jaguars to trade up in the 2025 Draft and select him with the No. 2 overall pick.

They seemingly felt that all the questions posed by several players, coaches, and scouts were unreasonable or biased. Their faith was about to be justified as Hunter showed flashes of brilliance throughout the 7 games he played.

He entered their Week 8 bye brimming with confidence, as he had registered his best game as a receiver, notching 101 yards and his first career touchdown.

That joy lasted less than two weeks, as the 22-year-old was placed on injured reserve after injuring his knee in practice. At the time, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen had announced that his two-way star would miss four weeks.

Now, that timeline has shifted enough to end his season after Ian Rapoport revealed that Travis Hunter underwent season-ending knee surgery. Doctors in Dallas had repaired his lateral collateral ligament, which means he would be out for the next 6 months.

It brings the curtains down on his rookie season, where his fans hoped the Florida native would silence all his doubters. Now, this season-ending injury has added more fuel to those concerns.

Fans question if too many snaps playing both ways cost Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter was getting his feet wet as a receiver, while the Jacksonville Jaguars kept his defensive snaps under control. The likes of Deion Sanders and Skip Bayless were furious with this decision and demanded that the Buffaloes star be let loose.

The latter believed Hunter was a better cornerback than he was a receiver, and even went on to suggest that he was in the same realm as some of the best who have played the game.

Now, after his season has ended, fans wonder if playing too many snaps cost his rookie campaign. The NFL is a lot different from college, and they believe that playing against grown men might have undermined him. Check out examples of those reactions below:

Travis Hunter will work through this and work out to be ready for next season. He will still have to prove himself, as question marks about his ability to play both ways in the NFL continue.

Marcus Spears believes injuries will follow Travis Hunter if he plays both ways

Football fans were not the only ones to wonder if playing in the NFL was going to impact Travis Hunter‘s health. Former defensive tackle and current ESPN analyst Marcus Spears went long-term when talking about the injury.

Travis Hunter's slight build could lead to injuries
Travis Hunter’s slight build could lead to injuries (Image via BR Gridiron/X)

If you are going to play both sides of the ball in the NFL, you are going to miss significant time during the season. At some point, it is going to catch up with you, the wear and tear… Playing one side gets you going enough as opposed to playing two, with his slight build.

Marcus Spears said on NFL Live

He asked if it made sense for the Jaguars, who have invested a second overall pick and significant money into the 6′ 1″ star, to allow him to flirt with injuries as he focuses on playing both ways.

Spears brought up that players struggle with injuries despite sticking to their role. Imagine when a lean Travis Hunter would face playing double the snaps against grown men.

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