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New York Jets offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The New York Jets have a key player heading toward free agency.
Insider Greg Auman of NFL on FOX predicted that the Jets would re-sign offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker this offseason.
“Tucker, 26, missed all of 2025 with a torn triceps muscle, and his injury history — playing 43 of a possible 85 games in five years — makes it hard to project a market for him. Pro Football Focus had him as the league’s No. 11 guard entering 2025, and even coming off the injury, they project him to a four-year deal worth $70 million. That’s $17.5 million a year. It’s reasonable to think he’ll come in short of that, if only because of the injury problems that have ended three of his last four seasons early,” Auman wrote.
The projected contract from Spotrac is lower than PFF’s, but still sizable. Spotrac’s calculated market value reveals that AVT could command a four-year $51 million contract in free agency.
That $12.8 million annual salary would rank No. 11 among the highest-paid left guards in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
Vera-Tucker is 26, and he will turn 27 before the start of the 2026 season.
Insider Shares More Details on the Jets OL Decision
ESPN’s Rich Cimini joined radio host Jake Asman and former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum on ESPN New York.
“Yeah, I would say there is a better chance of AVT coming back than John Simpson. I mean, AVT is in a really interesting situation. He is a good player, I think we all know that, but he has just had some really bad luck with injuries. He has missed basically a couple of years’ worth of injuries,” Cimini explained on “New York GameDay.”
“I think they will offer him a contract. It might be more of a prove-it type situation, but I have a feeling if he got out to the market, I think someone would be willing to roll the dice on a young, talented, versatile offensive lineman and give him a multi-year deal. So I’m not so sure a prove it one-year deal is going to get it done for AVT. If I were the Jets, I would take that chance. I think he is a guy that you’d be willing to bet on. I do not believe John Simpson will be back with the Jets,” Cimini added.
Perhaps a Good Omen?
The Jets’ offensive line is nearly complete; the big looming decision this offseason is what to do at left guard.
It feels like the decision for the Jets is down to Simpson or AVT. One of them you pick to come back, and the other leaves in free agency to join a new team.
Vera-Tucker has played four of the five offensive line positions in the NFL. In a twist of fate, if he returns to the Jets, he would be able to go back to his original position at left guard, which he was drafted to play.
Olu Fashanu is at left tackle, Josh Myers is penciled in as the starting center, Joe Tippmann has filled in nicely at right guard, and Armand Membou is the present and future at right tackle.
If the Jets can bring AVT back home, that’ll check off a big thing off the team’s to-do list this offseason.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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