Jordan Travis Wants to Be Jets’ QB1 After Aaron Rodgers: ‘Think About That a Lot’

zach bacharContributor IMay 4, 2024

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When asked about potentially succeeding Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback of the New York Jets, incoming rookie Jordan Travis revealed that the thought has crossed his mind.

“Yes, sir,” Travis said, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I do think about that a lot, but right now I’m just focused where my feet are, just getting healthy and getting everybody around me better, being a great teammate.”

After a strong senior season at Florida State in 2023, the Jets traded up to select the quarterback in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

In 11 appearances, Travis completed 63.9 percent of his throws for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. A leg injury ended his 2023 season, leading to his fall in the draft.

However, he likely wouldn’t have been in the same range as other top quarterback prospects in the 2024 class such as Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels even if he were able to finish out his final year with the Seminoles. Still, there’s a fair chance that a healthy Travis would have been off the board earlier than the No. 171 overall pick that he was eventually selected with.

In New York, the 24-year-old will have a chance to learn from Rodgers as well as veteran backup Tyrod Taylor. In a Saturday appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Rodgers and Taylor reached out to Travis directly and told him that they were “excited” to work with him.

The Jets’ plan for the former ACC signal-caller is evident, as head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that he views Travis as a “ball of clay” to develop into a capable NFL quarterback in the future.

“I feel like he’s kind of a ball of clay,” Saleh said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “He’s a tremendously talented young man and extremely gifted, especially athletically. He’s got a lot of work to do, he hasn’t even scratched the surface.”

“He’s winning games doing things that were just pure athleticism, and if we can tie the football part to it, I think we’ve got ourselves a damn good player,” he added.

While Rodgers is unquestionably the team’s starter heading into the 2024 season, it appears that both Travis and the Jets organization are confident in his ability to eventually take over the starting job after the four-time MVP.