Following the 2025 NFL draft, Jordan Travis informed the New York Jets of his intention to retire.
However, weeks before that, there was “tension” in the relationship, says ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
“I think there has been some tension in that relationship. The Jets were certainly not happy when Travis’ agent told me in early March that he thought the Jets botched the rehab last year. I know the agent got an earful from the Jets, and I think both sides basically agreed to shut down any talk about Jordan Travis’ health,” Cimini explained on the “Flight Deck” podcast.
A lot of Jordan Travis #Jets nuggets from ESPN’s Rich Cimini:
Cimini believes NYJ either knew Jordan Travis was going to retire or they knew he was struggling in his rehab ahead of the 2025 #NFLDraft.
There was some ‘tension’ in the relationship + Jets weren’t happy that… pic.twitter.com/7TaWIYgH1G
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) May 2, 2025
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On March 2, Travis’ agent, Deiric Jackson, told Cimini in an exclusive statement that Jordan’s “rehab with the Jets was not the best.”
“They tried to rush him. It was too fast. There was pressure on the coaching staff, and they tried to get him going sooner than the timeline really was. That caused the setback, and we had to shut him down completely,” Jackson told Cimini back in March.
Cimini pressed Jackson for specifics on the alleged setback, and Jackson “declined” to elaborate.
The Jets vehemently defended their position, saying through a team spokesman that “they adhered to the rehab plan created by Travis’ surgeon, orthopedist Robert Anderson,” via Cimini.
Insider Answers Pressing Travis-Jets Question Post-Draft
Travis’ retirement plans became public on Wednesday, April 30. Four days before that announcement, the Jets wrapped up the 2025 NFL draft.
One of the most pressing questions coming out of this is, did the Jets know about the Travis situation?
“I’m guessing they did, and if they didn’t, they certainly knew he was struggling in his rehab,” Cimini explained on the “Flight Deck” podcast.
Throughout the offseason, head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey were asked about Travis.
Glenn said at the Annual League Meetings that he isn’t a “doctor.” Mougey stated that he won’t discuss players’ medical information publicly.
“We got evasive non-answers and now we know why,” Cimini added.
Insider Provides Harsh Blunt Assessment on the Travis-Jets Tenure
“In the end, the Jets wasted a draft pick on Travis. He was a fifth-rounder. Never took so much as a snap for them. Look, they knew it was going to be a long rehab, they felt confident that he was going to be able to come out of it and play and compete – it didn’t happen,” Cimini said.
In hindsight, the pick didn’t work out. Hindsight is always 20/20 because you know all the information now that you didn’t previously.
Did the draft pick work out? Obviously not, but sometimes you have to risk it to get the biscuit.
“Jets believed Travis could have been a 2nd, 3rd round pick had he stayed healthy. Noteworthy in a very, very good QB class (prospect wise). Was worth the gamble in 5th,” NFL Insider Connor Hughes said on social media.
Jets believed Travis could have been a 2nd, 3rd round pick had he stayed healthy. Noteworthy in a very, very good QB class (prospect wise). Was worth the gamble in 5th. https://t.co/eoKDGTVETc
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) April 30, 2025
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The Jets swung at quarterback and missed. So does every NFL team every offseason. The Jets shouldn’t be deterred from pulling the trigger again in the future on a mid-round QB just because Travis didn’t work out.
