Rams' Davante Adams casts doubt on Jaguars' Travis Hunter's NFL career longevity

Travis Hunter is determined to be a two-way player in the NFL — just as he was throughout his college career, and just as he intends to remain in the pros. In fact, he made it clear before the NFL Draft that if he’s not allowed to play both ways, he might walk away from the game altogether.

“It's never playing football again,” he said. “Because I've been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”

Some evaluators see him as a cornerback first, but the Jaguars’ unofficial depth chart lists him as a starting wide receiver. ESPN’s Ryan Clark is fully convinced Hunter’s future lies on defense.

“Man!!! I’m going to die on the ‘TRAVIS HUNTER AT CORNER FIRST’ hill. He was born to do it,” Clark posted.

Playing both ways in college is one thing — doing it in the NFL is something else entirely. It will take time for Hunter to adjust, and opposing receivers won’t make it easy. Just ask Travis Kelce.

“Teams are going to be going after him,” Kelce said, via Andrew Battifarano of the New York Post. “They’re going to try and make his day miserable. . . . Dude, if he plays corner, they’re just going to run deep balls at him all day.”

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Rams receiver Davante Adams believes the risk of playing both ways in the NFL is simply too high.

“I don't even think it's possible to do, for real. Not at a high level. … That's just a lot of mileage, man. I'm not even concerned so much if he can do it over the course of a game or a season. It's more like, how long is his career going to be if he's playing that many snaps? All you're doing is doubling your risk for injury, one, and I don't wish any of that on him. I hope that he can play an injury-free season and go ball out. But it's just the reality,” Adams said.

Adams makes a valid point. Injuries are more common than ever in today’s NFL, and playing on both sides of the ball doubles that exposure. Right now, Hunter is young and incredibly gifted — but over time, the physical toll could accelerate, potentially cutting his career short.