Michael Irvin Flirts With the Idea of Travis Hunter Signing a Shohei Ohtani Contract

Now with a Heisman award on his trophy case, Travis Hunter has ended his college football career on the best note possible. The journey, however, has just begun, as he is now on his way to the big league, the NFL. Well, luckily for the Buffaloes star, Michael Irvin has come up with some golden advice that could help him with the transition, even possibly setting him up for good with a Shohei Ohtani-esque contract.

In the Cowboys legend’s latest appearance on “Speak on FS1”, Michael asked Hunter to not let NFL teams dictate where he should play. The former wide receiver said that if he were in Hunter’s position, he would make it clear to NFL teams that he would continue playing both as a WR and DB rather than focusing on a single position. If not, he wouldn’t wish to be drafted.

“If I’m Travis Hunter, I’m putting it out right now… If you’re not letting me play both ways, don’t draft me. I fully intend on playing both ways in the National Football League.”

According to Irvin, if Travis continues to shine as a two-way star for the first few years of his career, nothing can stop him from negotiating a Shohei Ohtani-type contract of $700 million.

“I’m telling you ‘No, I’m playing both ways,’ and in three years from now, y’all will Shohei Ohtani my money to me. You see what I’m saying? I’m gonna play both sides. I’m playing receiver and DB. Shohei Ohtani my money to me. That’s what I’m saying.”

.@michaelirvin88: Travis Hunter should tell NFL teams if you won’t let me play both sides, don’t draft me. 🤷🏾‍♂️

“Shohei Ohtani my money to me.” 😂 #TravisHunter #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/QfyJBBPvuK

— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) December 17, 2024

For those out of context, a Shohei Ohtani contract refers to the recent mega-money contract signed by the LA Dodgers pitcher worth $700 million for 10 years. While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see an NFL player breaching the $70 million per annum in the next three years, what would be surprising to see is a long contract of 10 years being signed. Especially given injury concerns

Moreover, with the way the NFL contracts skyrocket every year, committing to a fixed salary for the next 10 years might not be the best financial decision a player should make.

Another potential debatable point in Irvin’s suggestion is his insistence that Hunter continue being a two-way star in the NFL. As good as Travis has been in CFB, dominating on both sides of the game, the NFL is truly a different playing field.

For someone who couldn’t rank among the elite cohort in the WR and CB positions, it’s hard to see Hunter replicate the same against NFL teams. So, it’s not a bad idea for Travis to focus on one position [CB] and be the best there.

Another argument against Irvin’s suggestion can be about Hunter’s longevity being affected. If Travis chooses to continue his two-way play style, he will surely pick up a lot of bruises. Will he be able to sustain these blows and have a long-term career is a real introspection that the Buffs star should consider.

Regardless, these are all good problems to have. One thing is certain, Travis Hunter will be a very rich man in the coming years.