Why did Jordan Travis retire? Jets QB drops heartbreaking reason for retirement at 24

On Wednesday, New York Jets quarterback Jordan Travis announced his retirement from the NFL at 24. The former Florida State standout and 2024 fifth-round draft pick (No. 171) made the difficult decision after medical experts advised him to step away from football.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter broke the news on social media on Wednesday, sharing that Travis had "informed the Jets of his intention to retire." The announcement comes after Travis spent his rookie season on the Jets' non-football injury list.

In a statement released through the team, Travis explained the heartbreaking reason behind his premature retirement:

"On November 18, 2023, my life took an unexpected turn," Travis said. "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."

The injury that ended his career occurred in Travis' last game in college at Florida State against North Alabama. The quarterback fractured and dislocated his ankle that day, ending his collegiate career when the Seminoles were 11-0 and undefeated.

Jets general manager Darren Mougey expressed support for Jordan Travis' decision in a statement:

"Jordan has informed us of his intent to retire due to the injury he sustained while at Florida State," Mougey said. "It is unfortunate that he was unable to get back on the field after working so hard. We support his decision and wish him only the best."

Agent blames Jets for Jordan Travis' rehab setback

Capital One Orange Bowl - Georgia v Florida State - Source: Getty

While Travis' retirement announcement is devastating news, it follows earlier controversy regarding his rehabilitation process with the Jets. In March, his agent, Deiric Jackson, publicly criticized the team's handling of the quarterback's recovery.

In comments to ESPN, Jackson placed blame on the Jets organization for what he described as a rushed rehabilitation timeline:

"His rehab with the Jets was not the best. They tried to rush him. It was too fast," Jackson told ESPN. "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."

The Jets quickly defended their approach through a spokesperson, denying Jackson's claims about improper rehabilitation practices. Jackson had at the time been optimistic that Jordan Travis might return in 2025, saying the quarterback would return and was "optimistic" regarding his future.

The Florida native of West Palm Beach started his college career at Louisville in 2018 before transferring to Florida State, where he became a two-year starter. He concluded his college career as the No. 2 quarterback in FSU history for a starting QB's win record (28-10).

While at Florida State, Travis passed for 8,644 yards, 65 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in 46 games (38 starts). In his senior year, he threw 63.9% of passes for 20 touchdowns and two interceptions to take the Seminoles to an 11-0 record.

Travis broke several school records at Florida State, including marks by Chris Weinke for total touchdowns (99) and total offense (10,665 yards). He became the first three-time Seminoles QB with three victories at Miami and concluded his career with 17 consecutive wins.

The Jets drafted Travis, aware that he would require a lot of rehab time. He was put on the non-football injury list on July 23, 2024, and eventually shifted to the reserve/non-football list on August 27, 2024. In spite of attempts to have him healthy enough to get practice reps from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Travis never got to set foot on an NFL field.