Travis Hunter Catching Attention Over Future Implications With Contract
Travis Hunter Catching Attention Over Future Implications With Contract originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have big plans for rookie Travis Hunter and they may be making NFL history in the process.
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The No. 2 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, Hunter has spent the offseason preparing for a two-way role. The Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado, Hunter starred at both wide receiver and cornerback in college. So far, the Jaguars have had him primarily working with the offense, but he's also attending defensive meetings and taking reps with the secondary.
Given the price Jacksonville paid to acquire Hunter, effectively two first-round picks and a second-rounder, it's clear the franchise views him as a force on both sides of the ball.
His talents could make him a rare commodity, not only in terms of on-field production but also in how his future contracts are structured. ESPN's Dan Graziano dug into the fine details about what the Jags might be in for over the coming years.
Hunter's rookie deal is locked in at four years and $46.6 million, with a fifth-year option, under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. But the CBA presents issues when evaluating a player who may log regular snaps on both offense and defense.
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For instance, Hunter could benefit from the league's performance-based pay system, which awards bonuses to players based on their snap counts relative to salary.
In 2024, teams had a $14.1 million PBP pool, and Hunter could earn hundreds of thousands in bonuses if he becomes one of the Jaguars' highest snap-count players. Unlike star quarterbacks or linemen, two-way players like Hunter could rack up snaps in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams — potentially maximizing their bonus eligibility.
How the CBA determines fifth-year option values and franchise tag designations will be key. If Hunter plays more snaps at cornerback than at wide receiver in his third year, he would be classified as a cornerback. If so, that would cost him millions in future earnings. In 2024, the fifth-year option for top cornerbacks was $20.2 million, compared to $24 million for top wide receivers.
One potential solution would be a compromise similar to what the Ravens did with edge rusher Matthew Judon in 2020, when a positional classification dispute led to a one-year, split-the-difference deal.
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Contract incentives could also get tricky. The CBA allows players to have bonuses based on individual or team accomplishments, but normally not across sides of the ball. However, if Hunter plays at least 15 percent of snaps on both offense and defense, he could qualify for unique incentive structures. This would be based on earning bonuses for both interceptions and touchdowns.
That flexibility could allow Hunter and his agent to get creative when he's eligible for a contract extension after the 2027 season. However, the Jaguars would need to agree to classify those incentives as "likely to be earned," which counts against the salary cap.
Related: Deion Sanders Reveals He's Been Battling Health Issues During Offseason
Hunter's dual-role potential has already sparked comparisons to Shohei Ohtani and how the two-way baseball superstar landed a $700 million contract with the Dodgers. While the NFL has a hard salary cap, Hunter's ability to perform at a high level on both sides of the ball may force teams to reconsider traditional contract frameworks in the years ahead.
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Related: Browns Insider Turns Heads Over Comments on Shedeur Sanders
For now, the Jaguars appear committed to letting the experiment play out. If Hunter succeeds, he could reshape how NFL stars are evaluated and compensated.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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