For a mailbag published on Monday, NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY suggested that the New York Jets think that rookie quarterback and fifth-round draft pick Jordan Travis can become an eventual replacement for Aaron Rodgers.
"The Jets are over the moon to have Travis," Hughes explained. "They believed he’d be a second, early third-round pick (at worst) had he not gotten injured. He’s legitimately the perfect option to try to groom behind Rodgers and (backup quarterback) Tyrod Taylor. The ceiling of someone like Michael Pratt (Tulane) is more of a backup – think when the Jets drafted James Morgan. Taylor, multiple talent evaluators told SNY, has starting-caliber potential."
Some linked Pratt with the Jets ahead of the draft. He ultimately fell to the seventh round of the player-selection process before the Green Bay Packers made him the 245th overall pick.
Travis suffered a significant left leg injury while with the Florida State Seminoles in November but nevertheless was named the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Player of the Year. Jets pass-rusher Jermaine Johnson II recently revealed that he texted head coach Robert Saleh about drafting Johnson's former college teammate, and Gang Green traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for the right to take Travis.
Travis shouldn't see the field for meaningful action anytime soon regardless of his recovery. Rodgers is on track to be the Week 1 QB1 for a Jets team expected to compete for more than just a playoff berth, and the previously mentioned Taylor is currently cemented as New York's backup. Rodgers truly may want to play for another "two, three or four more years," but he turns 41 years old this December and is coming off an injury known to shorten careers.
"Travis needs to get healthy," Hughes added. "He needs to improve his footwork. There’s some mental growth he needs, too. He’s a developmental project for a reason. The physical gifts are there, though, along with the work ethic to make you think he’ll improve on the former. It will be interesting to see what he looks like in 2026, 2027."
Travis could spend his first two NFL seasons learning from a future Hall of Famer similar to how Jordan Love developed with the Packers. Love looked like the real deal last season, and the Jets seem to believe people could make similar comments about Travis as soon as September 2026.
