Travis Hunter is living up to his promise in the NFL, taking snaps on both offense and defense for the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he has yet to fully break out on the field, Hunter is also making headlines off it.
The former Colorado star was baptized the morning of Jacksonville’s Week 6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Veteran NFL analyst Skip Bayless questioned the timing, suggesting Hunter had lost focus on football. But former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III is pushing back on Bayless’ criticism, claiming he was “absolutely tripping.”
RGIII Defends Travis Hunter Amid Skip Bayless Criticism
Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, was baptized before the 1 p.m. kickoff on Sunday. He had been planning the ceremony for a while and, in his own words, considers Sunday to be “God’s day,” so he didn’t want to wait any longer.
After the Jaguars lost the game, Bayless questioned the timing, suggesting Hunter’s limited usage on the field was distracting him from football. Bayless argued that while the two-way star could have focused on pregame preparation, the lack of opportunities has caused him to slack.
“Allow me to tell you why there was no way Travis Hunter should have chosen to be baptized on the morning of a 1 o’clock game in Jacksonville… I’m certainly not suggesting that getting baptized was any kind of protest on Travis’ part. It was just a stunning indication of where his head is at, or not at, right now. He’s really not into football right now,” Bayless said.
“Travis Hunter is starting to lose interest. 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 pre-game mental preparation. Nope, not now,” he added.
While Bayless raised concerns about Hunter’s focus, RGIII disagrees, asserting that there is no “wrong” time to grow closer to God. Griffin even suggested that Bayless himself could benefit from baptism to “wash away all those bad takes.”
“Travis Hunter just got baptized and Skip Bayless is tripping about it…Questioning Travis Hunter’s focus and dedication to his team because he gave his life to God through baptism is not analysis. It’s arrogance. A man finding salvation doesn’t need your approval. There’s never a wrong time to dedicate your life to God. Maybe instead of critiquing baptisms, you should try one. It might wash away all those bad takes,” he wrote on X.
However, Bayless was baptized as an infant in a Methodist church in Oklahoma City and has followed the Christian faith for decades. His issue was about the timing, and he believes baptism will be a lifelong positive influence on Hunter.
And as he pointed out, Hunter’s usage on the field has been limited. He has played 63% of offensive snaps, down 24% from his 2024 Colorado season, and only 39% of defensive snaps, 44% fewer than in college. Despite that, he has still posted solid numbers with 20 catches for 197 yards and 15 tackles in six games, earning 67th place in PFSN’s WR Impact metric.
