Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has offered rookie Jacksonville Jaguars player Travis Hunter important advice regarding the challenge of playing two positions in the NFL. Kelce highlighted that opposing teams may deliberately try to exhaust Hunter by targeting deep passes at him when he is on defense.
Following Kelce’s remarks, former NFL coach Eric Mangini spoke about the difficulties Hunter could face as he adjusts to the professional level versus college football.
Eric Mangini Discusses the Physical Demands Hunter Faces Transitioning to the NFL
Mangini noted the clear differences in intensity between college football and the NFL, emphasizing the longer season and consistently high competition. He explained that although Hunter excels athletically, the weekly level of competition in the NFL presents a new challenge.
“He (Hunter) has shown that he’s built different, but there’s a significant difference between college football and the NFL,”
Mangini said on FS1’s First Things First.
“The season is significantly longer. The quality of the players that he’s playing against are good every single week, which is different than college. There are some weeks where he was so much better than anybody else that was on the field that that was a different, different equation. The other way I think you can attack him is that he’s not a big guy… one of the things that we would do consistently is, if you get a finesse defensive back, you try to make him tackle.
“Like, okay, you want to cover. We get that. Congratulations. But we’re going to make you tackle and see whether you know what kind of stomach you have for that at 175lbs,” he added.
Hunter remains determined to contribute on both offense and defense. His dual-threat ability as a wide receiver and cornerback was a major factor in his winning the Heisman Trophy during his final year at Colorado.
The Jaguars, who made Hunter the second overall pick by trading up in the draft, initially placed him as a wide receiver during rookie minicamp before expanding his role to include defensive responsibilities.
Despite Kelce’s advice, he is not the only veteran to caution Hunter about the heavy physical demands and strategic challenges implicating players who split time between two positions in the NFL.
Travis Kelce Signals Possible Retirement After 2025 Season While Preparing for Return
Alongside mentoring younger players, Kelce confirmed his return to the Chiefs for the 2025 season but also suggested that it could be his final year in the league.
“When you get older, you start to figure things out differently,” Kelce said in a recent episode of the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast. “Your body doesn’t respond like it used to. You have to focus more on preparation and recovery. During the week, you need a plan to get back to 100%. Thinking about all that, I just didn’t want to leave anything on the table.”
Kelce’s career with the Chiefs began after they selected him in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Over his time in Kansas City, he has amassed 12,151 receiving yards and scored 77 touchdowns on 1,004 receptions.
His accolades include 10 Pro Bowl selections and contributions to three Super Bowl championships, firmly establishing him as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
The guidance Kelce provides to younger players like Hunter highlights the demanding nature of professional football, especially for those trying to balance multiple roles on the field. With Kelce’s experience and continued presence, both veterans and rookies face the upcoming seasons aware of the physical and mental preparations required to succeed.