Travis Hunter gets his full $30.57 million signing bonus up front

When it comes to rookie contracts, there's not much to negotiate. On one of the few negotiable items, Jaguars receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter did very well.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Hunter will receive his full, slotted $30.57 million bonus up front. He's the first non-quarterback not taken first overall to get the full signing bonus up front.

Often, teams stagger the payments. Sometimes, a portion of the money isn't paid out for nearly a year. There's real value in getting the cash right away. It can be put to work, earning interest while Hunter does nothing.

It's the least the Jaguars could do for a player who relishes the opportunity to work overtime. His contract won't pay him extra to play both ways; the total money is driven solely by the position in which he was drafted.

When it's time for the Jaguars to pick up Hunter's fifth-year option, it will be driven by the position at which he takes the most snaps. Ditto for the franchise tag.

Only in his second contract will Hunter have a chance to get paid for playing both positions. He won't be eligible for that until after his third regular season ends.

That's when it will get interesting. After the 2027 regular season. Hunter, if he's playing both ways on a full-time basis, will have every right to be paid for both of his jobs.

The stakes will be high, for both sides. The Jaguars happily gave up their 2026 first-round pick and more to trade up three spots in the first round because they were getting two players in one — as their two-pronged social-media announcement of his signing confirms. At some point, they'll need to depart from a Collective Bargaining Agreement that doesn't contemplate paying extra money to a player who plays both ways.

UPDATE 8:05 p.m. ET: A league source takes issue with Schefter's report that Hunter is the first non-quarterback not taken first overall to get his full signing bonus up front. Per the source, both Nick Bosa and Chase Young got their full signing bonuses up front. (Also, plenty of second- through seventh-round picks have gotten the full amount of their signing bonuses up front. The numbers, obviously, were much smaller.)