A New York Jets player had his NFL career come to an end before it officially began.
On Wednesday, Jets quarterback Jordan Travis announced that he has been advised to retire from football. The 2024 fifth-round pick suffered a devastating leg injury toward the end of the 2023 season when he was starring for Florida State. He posted a photo of his farewell letter on social media:
The Jets intend to place Travis on the reserve/retired list. The 24-year-old spent his entire rookie year on the reserve/non-football injury list while rehabbing his leg injury.
“On November 18, 2023, my life took an unexpected turn,” Travis said in a statement. “I gave everything I had to the rehab process but despite all my efforts, my leg never responded the way we hoped. After much prayer and consultation with the doctors, medical experts and my agent, I’ve been medically advised to retire from the game I love so deeply.”
In his final year with the Seminoles, Travis made 11 starts and led the team to an 11-0 record while throwing for 2,734 yards, 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions and adding seven rushing scores. He completed 64.1 percent of his passes and finished fifth in the voting for the 2023 Heisman Trophy, establishing himself as an intriguing NFL draft prospect.
Unfortunately, the injury in a game against North Alabama derailed Travis’ future. Florida State also suffered mightily, becoming the first undefeated Power Five conference champion to be left out of the College Football Playoff. Voters admitted that the controversial decision was made due to Travis’ injury.
The Jets still took a chance by using a fifth-round pick to select Travis, though New York may not have been the best landing spot for him. ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported that Travis’ agent said in March that the Jets rushed his rehab and caused a setback in his recovery, though he remained “optimistic” about the signal-caller’s chances to be ready for the 2025 season.
It’s now clear that a return to the football field is out of the question for Travis, and he will have to pursue a new career much sooner than he ever would’ve expected.
“It is unfortunate that he was unable to get back on the field after working so hard,” Jets general manager Darren Mougey said in a statement. “We support his decision and wish him only the best.”
