Travis Hunter: Is It Feasible to Be a Two-Way Player in the NFL?

When one thinks of a two-way player in the NFL, they may think of J.J. Watt or Mike Vrabel, being All-Pro defenders with a handful of receiving touchdowns lined up at tight end. One may even think back to when defensive tackle Dontari Poe scored three total touchdowns on offense for the Chiefs in 2015 and 2016. A more common version of a two-way player is receivers or cornerbacks who return kicks, like Devin Hester or Patrick Peterson. On the other hand, Randy Moss and Rob Gronkowski played defense on Hail Mary attempts, while Julian Edelman played QB rather than WR for some double pass trick plays. Ironically, all three were on the Patriots for those plays. In today’s version of the NFL, it is incredibly rare to see a starting defensive player take consistent snaps as a starter on offense for the same team in the same game. That is, until Colorado athlete Travis Hunter is inevitably drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft at the end of April.

A few weeks ago, Travis Hunter issued a bold ultimatum to NFL teams that are considering drafting him that he would rather quit football than be restricted to playing one of the two positions that he played during his time at Jacksonville State and Colorado. This statement came days before the Colorado Buffaloes retired his and Shedeur Sanders’ numbers for their contributions to the football program from 2023-2024. Browns general manager Andrew Berry compared Hunter to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, calling Hunter a “unicorn” due to his versatility on both sides of the ball. This past season at Colorado, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner recorded 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and a conference-high 15 receiving touchdowns on offense and contributed to 36 tackles and four interceptions for 65 yards on defense.

Above, I listed a handful of players who took snaps in a different facet of the game than they were originally drafted to play, but ultimately stuck with their intended role. I could have made a whole list of players who participated in deceptive trick plays, but I would not consider them two-way players. Below, I will go more in-depth with two players throughout history to frequently played on both sides of the ball to help fans decide whether it is ultimately feasible for Travis Hunter to play both CB and WR in the NFL. There is no question that he can do it, but is it worth it?

Two-way players and multi-position athletes were more common in the pre-Super Bowl era of professional football. At the time, being a two-way player was proof that you were willing to risk more to help your team win games, assuming the coaches believed you could play a secondary position. Drafted first overall in 1949 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967, Chuck Bednarik played linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949-1962, recording 20 interceptions in his career. In 1953, Bednarik punted the ball 12 times and returned some kicks in 1954 and 1956. In the 1960 NFL Championship, Bednarik recorded a mind-blowing 58 minutes of playing time, playing almost every snap on offense and defense, including a tackle preventing a would-be winning score for the Green Bay Packers. Bednarik is viewed as one of the last true offensive and defensive two-way players, but the era also provided fans with quarterbacks or running backs who doubled as kickers. Durability was never a question for Bednarik, but the era and style of football were drastically different when compared to the game we love watching over 50 years later.   

Hall of Fame cornerback and current head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders, is probably one of the closest players in recent times to compare this situation to. Sanders was in the NFL from 1989-2004, but during his time in Atlanta and Dallas, the two-time Super Bowl champion was involved in special packages on offense, recording 60 receptions, 784 yards, and three touchdowns in the 10 combined seasons with those two teams. The biggest play on offense was a 47-yard catch in Super Bowl XXX that set up an early touchdown for the Cowboys. On defense, the eight-time Pro Bowler won two Defensive Player of the Year awards, recording 53 interceptions and returning nine for touchdowns, which ranks sixth all-time. Additionally, Sanders was a prolific returner, recording over 5,000 return yards and nine total touchdowns on special teams. Deion was turning heads with his versatility in all facets of the game, but his athleticism was showcased even more with seven years of professional baseball, batting .263 with 39 home runs. Deion deserves to be called a pure athlete because he truly played all over the field and played multiple professional sports at the same time.

I believe it is Sanders’ life experience that probably gave Travis Hunter the motivation, confidence, and formula for success to become a true two-way player in the NFL. The only problem I see in being a two-way player is fatigue. Hunter is conditioned and played both sides of the ball during his college days, but the NFL is a different breed. Imagine he runs routes and blocks for a 12-play drive, then must stay on the field and cover receivers like Ja’Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson. Could Hunter become a liability on the field if the franchise does not take certain precautions when letting him rest? In turn, why would a team willingly hold one of their best players out for what could be a momentum-shifting or game-changing drive? There is also a logistical question of how a practice will look for the future rookie if he intends to be a starter on both sides of the ball. If Hunter continues down this path similar to Sanders and Bednarik, he could potentially break the norm, change the market in terms of dual-threat player contracts, and even inspire the younger generation to follow in his footsteps, reigniting the idea of being a two-way player in the NFL.