Shannon Sharpe unequivocally clarifies that he's no fan of Travis Hunter's NFL plan
Shannon Sharpe could not have made it any more clear: he's NOT a fan of everyone's favorite Travis Hunter. Or at least his plan at the next level to utilize his exceptional skills on both sides of the ball. Why so, you may ask? Well, the former NFL threat knows what it takes to succeed on gridiron, and it's not playing on both ends of the ball.
To make the Hunter fans realize the magnitude of the decision, Sharpe had to bring in Hunter's idol, Deion Sanders, who too, could not play on both sides of the ball even in his prime.
" Is he more talented than Time? Time ain’t play both sides of the ball," Sharpe blatantly asked on his podcast, "Nightcap."
Sharpe also reminded what fight Hunter will have to put up if he decides to play on both ends. First, a physical fight against receiving beasts like Tyreek Hill and Jefferson followed up with a skilled, offensive fight against defensive masters like Ramsey.
He and his co-host, Ocho Cinco were on the same page about Hunter moving to the 2025 NFL draft with a mindset to play on both sides of the ball.
"In college, yes. In the NFL, it isn't possible," Cinco said, with Sharpe wholeheartedly agreeing.
"Can you imagine a 10 or 11 play drive, and you think after a 10 or 11 play drive on DB, you gon go on offense? And then be efficient as well? That's not happening."
Ocho Cinco was even more positive that Hunter would end up nowhere in the 'grown-ass men's game' if he continued playing on both sides of the ball.
"What people have to understand is there's a huge difference in playing college ball and playing in the NFL," Johnson prefaced before saying, "It's different and the margin for area in the next level is so much smaller, and the level of competition is so much better."
Well, a lot of things that Hunter needs to consider before he cements his mindset of going to the NFL and wanting to play on both sides of the ball. Sharpe and his pal Chad Johnson are not the first ones to say it out loud. The chatter has been around ever since Hunter got in the talks of going into the NFL: Will any NFL team allow him to play on both sides of the ball? Will he snag a contract that pays according to it? The list goes on.
To avoid all this, however, Cinco has some special personal advice for Hunter.
Chad Johnson's honest advice to Travis Hunter
The hosts of 'Nightcap' had a better suggestion for Hunter based on the years they have spent in the NFL. Personal advice from the analytic point of view.
"He has the endurance of the long-distance runner, where he can do that, at the NFL what Travis Hunter can do, because he's such a special talent, he got to play the receiver (position)," Johnson said.
The reason? The massive contracts WRs are bagging in the current market. $30-35 million ones on average, given the elite player Hunter is expected to be. By the time Hunter reaches the NFL, the WR can easily expect a $40-45 million contract in WR terms. If he decides to go down that road, that is.
It's Hunter's robust mentality to win on both sides of the ball vs. the harsh realities of the NFL world.