The Jacksonville Jaguars made a bold trade in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Travis Hunter second overall because they believe he is a sports-altering talent. While the early results haven't been precisely great, the reigning Heisman Trophy has made encouraging strides as the season progressed.
In the loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Hunter only had four receptions for 15 yards on offense. However, he more than held his own at corner, giving up just two receptions on four targets for 18 yards in 17 coverage snaps. The game prior, the West Palm Beach, Florida native just allowed one catch for seven yards on three targets, so it's fair to say that he's playing well. However, that didn't stop a prominent talking head from grasping at straws.
Skip Bayless is bashing Travis Hunter for getting baptized before the Jaguars played Seattle
Travis Hunter made the decision to get baptized the same day the Jacksonville Jaguars played the Seattle Seahawks. The team didn't have an issue, but talking head Skip Bayless argues that it was the latest proof that the former Colorado Buffalo doesn't love football.
What stands out about Bayless' critique is that he went on a 28-minute rant. How can you go on a tirade of nearly half an hour about how another grown man chooses to spend his free time? Jake Fenner of the Daily Mail did a good job of compiling the highlights.
"These are not normal circumstances for Travis Hunter the football player. The Jags are using him so little - especially on defense where he the most gifted, all time gifted - that Travis Hunter is starting to lose interest," Bayless said. "He's starting to check out mentally on the Jags so he was actually happy to be baptized on a gameday morning, because football isn't taking that much concentration or focus or pregame mental preparation. Nope! Not now!
Bayless goes on to say that he isn't suggesting that "getting baptized was any kind of protest," but it shows that Hunter has tuned out.
Why Skip Bayless' criticism of Travis Hunter doesn't make any sense
The reason Skip Bayless' baffling criticism of Travis Hunter doesn't make sense is that he got baptized during his free time. He can do anything he pleases when he's not playing football. That's not even up for debate.
Football players are routinely blasted for how they choose to do off the field, but what did Bayless expect? It's unrealistic (actually insane) to expect Hunter to spend 24 hours at the facility.
Bayless is using an arbitrary argument to bash Hunter, because if he cannot get baptized during his free time? Is he also forbidden to have breakfast at Waffle House with his family on Game Day? Go to church or simply play video games?
Hunter surely checked with the team before making the decision, and the Jaguars surely gave him the thumbs up. To suggest that he doesn't love football because he decided to get baptized is something a talking head in desperate need for clicks would precisely say... Oh, wait!