Retzlaff initially took part in minicamp with the Seattle Seahawks, but he did not receive an invite to training camp.
Former Tulane Green Wave quarterback Jake Retzlaff is on the move once again.
The New York Jets invited Retzlaff to their minicamp, the school announced on Monday. The standout quarterback recently worked out with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the franchise's minicamp, but he left without receiving an invite to their training camp. In all honesty, that's not too much of a surprise: the Seahawks have a strong quarterback room, and they don't seem to be looking to move on from anyone in the near future.
Despite the initial letdown, it's easy to understand why NFL teams continue to take a chance on Retzlaff after he went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. The BYU transfer led Tulane to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in his lone season with the program, all while passing for 3,168 yards and 15 touchdowns. Additionally, he picked up a team-high 634 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. As a true dual-threat quarterback, Retzlaff was easily the biggest difference-maker for the Green Wave last season.
Retzlaff will face an uphill battle if he hopes to make the Jets' roster, because the franchise has a pretty cramped quarterback room.
New York actually selected a signal-caller in this year's draft: the franchise traded up 18 spots to select former Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik with the 110th overall pick, and he's already signed a rookie contract. He'll be on the active roster, and given the team's quarterback woes this past year, it's not too far-fetched to say he'll get a shot at the starting job sooner or later.
That leaves a few remaining signal-callers from a franchise that had another disappointing season in 2025, ultimately ending the year with a 3-14 record.
Geno Smith was the starter for the majority of the year, but his stats were largely unimpressive. He threw for 3,025 yards on the year and had 19 touchdowns to a whopping 17 interceptions. Backup Brady Cook was even worse, leading the team to five demoralizing losses in the last five games of the season and recording just two touchdowns to seven interceptions during that stretch.
Klubnik is already up to third on the depth chart, but the team still has Bailey Zappe as the fourth quarterback option. Zappe has had a quiet NFL career and didn't receive any playing time this past season; the opportunity is there for Retzlaff to give him a run for his money.
Even if the Jets don't work out for Retzlaff, there is still time to find other opportunities across the league. The signal-caller is going to have to prove himself no matter where he goes, but there's no doubt that he has the potential to make an impact.