Getty New York Jets offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker celebrating after a huge touchdown.
The New York Jets were dealt a crippling blow on Monday, October 24.
Head coach Robert Saleh announced that Alijah Vera-Tucker will miss the rest of the 2022 season after suffering a triceps injury.
Coach Saleh announces that RB Breece Hall (knee) and OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (triceps) will miss the remainder of the 2022 season.
The former first-rounder suffered the injury early during the Week 7 win versus the Denver Broncos on the road.
Alijah Vera-Tucker Injury Is a Brutal Blow for the Jets
The Jets caught a lot of flak for trading up in the first round to select what many analysts deemed “just a guard.” However, AVT has proven to be so much more than that.
In a season and a half Vera-Tucker has played four different offensive line positions and has gotten Gang Green out of countless jams.
Now they’ll have to move on through the rest of the 2022 season without him.
The folks over at The Jet Press called it “ridiculous” how many injuries the Jets have suffered in the trenches this year.
#Jets OTs on injured reserve this season:
• Mekhi Becton
• George Fant
• Duane Brown (has returned)
• Max Mitchell
• Alijah Vera-Tucker
Losing your top 5 offensive tackles (one of whom is a converted OG) to injury is ridiculous man.
Nicole Esther tweeted that she has “nothing” after the brutal injury news.
Ty on Twitter wished the former USC product a “speedy recovery” as he prepares for the 2023 season.
Matteo Martino shared a very brutal but honest take saying, “why can I not be allowed to be happy?” Along with that caption, he shared a meme of constant suffering as a Jets fan.
@nyjets Why an I not allowed to be happy 😭
Others like Twitter user “Jack” are just staring into the flames.
Sometimes laughter can be the best form of medicine:
#Jets fans: Wow we are 5-2 & have a 76% percent chance to make the playoffs, nothing could possibly go wrong!
Season-ending injuries to Alija Vera-Tucker, Breece Hall: #TakeFlight
The Jets New Plan With Alijah Vera-Tucker on the Shelf
Gang Green lost two of their best players in the same game. An absolutely devastating blow to a team that now has playoff aspirations.
Breece Hall will be replaced by some players in-house and a potential outside-the-building addition. If you squint you can see a plan, it is a lot harder to do that for a guy like AVT.
Vera-Tucker filled so many holes whenever an injury-hit somewhere on the offensive line. He played left tackle, left guard, right guard, and right tackle.
The good news, if you even want to call it that, is with all of the musical chairs the Jets found a new answer at right guard.
Nate Herbig has been a godsend for the Jets and has proven to be a solid piece to the puzzle. The much more difficult conversation comes at offensive tackle.
Duane Brown will stay at left, Laken Tomlinson at left guard, Connor McGovern at center, Herbig at right guard, and now who the heck will play right tackle?
The initial plan from the Jets is former Cincinnati Bengals first-rounder Cedric Ogbuehi. Everything will be evaluated when the other Jets offensive tackles get healthy.
Gang Green initially stole him off of the Houston Texans practice squad. He has been with the team practicing and assimilating himself into the culture and offense.
With all of the talent the Jets still possess on the offensive side of the ball, the offensive line still has a chance to be average which could prove to be good enough through the rest of the season.