New report exposes messy fallout between Jets and Jordan Travis camp

The story of Jordan Travis’ brief tenure with the New York Jets continues to take unexpected turns even after his retirement.

Days after the former Florida State star officially stepped away from football due to complications from his college injury, new reporting has shed light on what appears to have been a fractured relationship between Travis’ camp and the Jets organization.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on a recent episode of his Flight Deck podcast that tension existed between the two parties dating back months.

While it was already known that Travis’ agent had publicly criticized the Jets for their handling of his rehab process, Cimini’s update confirms that the organization didn’t take those comments lightly. In fact, he reports that the Jets were furious behind the scenes and gave Travis’ agent “an earful” in response.

"The Jets certainly were not happy when Travis’ agent told me that he thought the Jets botched the rehab last year, and I know the agent got an earful from the Jets. I think both sides agreed to shut down all talks regarding Travis’ health."

Rich Cimini

Did the NY Jets know about Jordan Travis' retirement before the draft?

Cimini also speculated that the Jets likely knew Travis was considering retirement well before the 2025 NFL Draft, and if not, they at least knew his recovery was not going according to plan.

The team remained vague about Travis’ health in the months leading up to the draft, and now it seems the silence may have been deliberate. Ultimately, both sides reportedly agreed to stop discussing Travis’ medical situation publicly.

Travis arrived in New York with the hope that he could be a developmental quarterback option for the Jets. The former Florida State standout had put together a magical 2023 season, emerging as a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender before a gruesome leg injury in November ended both his season and his college career.

The Jets believed in Travis’ long-term upside enough to select him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, despite the serious injury. There was initial optimism that Travis would be ready to return for training camp, but he suffered multiple setbacks and was never cleared to practice.

The team remained vague about his status for most of the 2024 season, and the new regime under Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey provided little clarity when asked about him this offseason.

That silence only added fuel to the speculation, and when Travis officially announced his retirement shortly after the 2025 NFL Draft, it confirmed many of the concerns swirling around his recovery.

Travis’ decision to step away leaves the Jets with a four-man quarterback room featuring new addition Justin Fields, veteran backup Tyrod Taylor, former UFL MVP Adrian Martinez, and intriguing undrafted rookie Brady Cook.

Fields is the expected Week 1 starter, but the team hasn’t fully committed to him as a long-term answer. Cook, who started nearly 40 games at Missouri, may have a real opportunity to stick as the QB3.

Still, the Travis situation leaves a cloud over what was supposed to be a promising developmental project. The Jordan Travis saga may be over, but it’s clear things didn’t end on the best of terms.

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