After a Heisman-winning campaign in 2024, Travis Hunter was selected second overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the expectation that he could continue playing both sides of the ball. However, his rookie season was cut short due to injury, and in the seven games Hunter did play, he didn’t exactly light it up.
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Hunter finished with 28 receptions for 298 yards and one touchdown on offense, along with 15 tackles and three pass deflections on defense. Solid flashes, but not quite the return you’d hope for from a No. 2 overall pick. That said, the upside is still there. And with reports suggesting he’ll be prioritized more on defense, there’s renewed belief he can really find his footing and grow into a difference-maker.
But if you ask Lil Wayne, that two-way dream isn’t going anywhere. Wayne, whose sports agency (Young Money APAA Sports) represents Hunter, shared that the former Colorado star is set on contributing on both offense and defense. “That’s his whole thing [playing two ways]. It’s not a battle for him… That’s his nature… That is so natural to him,” Wayne said during his appearance on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward.
Now, if Hunter actually pulls it off and produces well on both sides, it opens up a whole new can of worms when it comes to his contract. Would he get paid like two players?
Wayne hinted that it would come down to Hunter’s production and market value. The two-way star will have to let his play do the talking, while the team figures out the check they’re willing to cut, even if it means exploring a deal similar to what baseball two-way star Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“The day Shohei Ohtani [signed his contract], we had a huge conversation… You see how they paid him and why they paid him… They explain why they paid him, how they paid him. Make sure they don’t need an explanation when they pay you as well. Cause if they need an explanation, people are going to be like, ‘How did he get that much money?'” said the Lollipop hitmaker.
Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers is largely due to his value as both a top-tier starting pitcher and a middle-of-the-order slugger. Now, we haven’t seen a true two-way player like that in the NFL, but Hunter might just make history. And if he does, contract talks could follow a similar path, as Wayne noted during his podcast appearance.
Wayne has been a mentor to Hunter and has labeled him a generational two-way talent, so it’s no surprise he’s backing him to succeed on both sides. But the reality is, in a league as physical as the NFL, it’s a tough ask. Producing at a high level on both offense and defense over a full season is easier said than done. Injuries are always a concern, and Hunter already dealt with one last year, even if it was non-contact.
Still, if anyone can buck the trend, it might be Hunter. Only time will tell.
