While fans wait for the New York Jets to make some key hires at head coach and general manager, the team has made a roster move.
The Jets announced on social media on Friday, January 17 that they have signed “WR Ontaria “Pokey” Wilson to a Reserve/Future contract.”
We have signed WR Ontaria “Pokey” Wilson to a Reserve/Future contract.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 17, 2025
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Jets Kick The Tires on an Interesting Name
Wilson, 25, first entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Florida State in 2023. He made it through the entire offseason with the Los Angeles Chargers but was dumped ahead of final roster cuts.
The former FSU product spent this past season on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.
“He caught 71 passes for 1,026 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2024 for the Blue Bombers,” per the Jets press release.
They granted him his release on January 9 so he could have the opportunity to join an NFL team, Jets reporter Ethan Greenberg revealed.
“Pokey” has an interesting Jets connection to a new and old teammate of his. Wilson was at Florida State from 2018 through 2022 spending four seasons with current Jets QB Jordan Travis.
During that run, Wilson hauled in 108 receptions for 1,521 receiving yards and secured 12 touchdowns.
Travis is The Unknown Wildcard in The Jets QB 2025 Sweepstakes
Who will be starting at QB for the Jets in 2025 is a mystery.
Tyrod Taylor will at least be the backup with an outside shot that he rises to the QB1 role if Aaron Rodgers retires and/or he beats out either a veteran or rookie for that gig in camp.
The total mystery of the group is Travis. There’s a path to him becoming the backup quarterback. He could be the developmental QB3. Heck, he might not even make the 53-man roster.
Travis, 24, was the No. 171 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Jets fans didn’t see Travis suit up this season because he was placed on the NFI (non-football-injury) list before the year. He suffered a very gruesome ankle fracture at the end of his final season at Florida State. The early prognosis indicated that Travis would be ready for training camp of his rookie season.
Travis was expected to go much higher in the draft, but the injury tanked his stock. The Jets got a steal of a dart throw. However, he suffered setbacks during his rehab process that forced him to miss the entirety of his rookie season.
If that didn’t put him behind the eight-ball enough there is a new regime coming to 1 Jets Drive. That means the next head coach and general manager will have zero ties to the young quarterback. The folks that believed in him enough to draft him aren’t here anymore.
Travis is going to have to impress a brand new brass with the Jets as he fights for a spot on the roster next season. He is a talented kid and the Jets don’t have a lot of answers at the position.
In college, he threw for 8,715 passing yards, had a 66 touchdown to 20 interception ratio, and completed 62% of his passes.
Travis is facing long odds to make an impact on the Jets, but that isn’t anything he is unfamiliar with based on his football journey.
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