If there's one thing everyone knows about Travis Hunter, it's that he lives and breathes football. Not surprisingly, the Jacksonville Jaguars gave up a massive haul to select him second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, Troy Aikman just made a comment during the Monday Night broadcast that raised eyebrows.
During the Week 5 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Aikman questioned Hunter's love for football.
"He loves football, playing video games and finishing," Aikman said via James Palmer of NFL Media. "Not necessarily in that order."
Palmer then added, "Let's hope it's in that order," based on the haul the Jags gave up for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
"He loves football, playing video games and fishing. Not necessarily in that order." - Troy Aikman on Travis Hunter.
For the Jaguars sake and what they gave up for Hunter, lets hope it's in that order.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 7, 2025
To move from No. 5 to No. 2, Jacksonville gave up its first and second-round picks in 2025 and its first next year. So far, the West Palm Beach, Florida native is off to a slow start to his NFL career, hauling in 13 receptions for 118 yards with no touchdowns on offense and just one pass defensed on defense. Rightly, he's been under scrutiny.
Related:Trevor Lawrence gets a tough (but fair) review after slow start to 2024
The Jaguars would never question Travis Hunter's love for football
Travis Hunter was the highest-rated prospect at both receiver and corner after playing two ways full-time at Colorado. When the Jaguars drafted him, they knew he had interests aside from football but would never question his love for the game.
Heck, Hunter is an avid fisher, and he was caught playing Clash of Clans on Draft Day. However, his hobbies don't interfere with his attention to detail and the work he puts in to be in a position to deliver on the football field.
And that's the thing, it would be one thing if Travis Hunter had his fishing rod with him on game day or if he were playing video games on the sidelines. But that's not the case, which is why Troy Aikman's comments were out of place.
In the context of the broadcast, why did the former NFL quarterback feel the need to make those comments? He could've talked about pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen's altruistic endeavors or the fact that Trevor Lawrence was celebrating his birthday the same day as Monday Night. Instead, Aikman went for the low-hanging fruit.
Of course, there's one thing Travis Hunter can do to silence doubters, and that's playing at a high level. He's got a great opportunity under the biggest spotlight there is in the NFL.