Getty New York Jets offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif making a block during an NFL game.
A former New York Jets starter could be on the move.
The Montreal Alouettes acquired the rights to offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in exchange for two draft picks being sent to the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL, the league announced.
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A Worthwhile Gamble
It is unclear if LDT will ever play the game of football again, whether in the NFL or the CFL.
Duvernay-Tardif was the first NFL player that chose to opt out of the 2020 campaign due to the COVID pandemic. In the process, he put his football aspirations aside to help combat the disease.
He ended up returning to the gridiron in 2021 with the Kansas City Chiefs before ultimately being traded to the Jets last season in exchange for veteran tight end Daniel Brown.
The Canadian big man played in eight games and made seven starts during his stint with Gang Green.
During the offseason, LDT said that he was once again walking away from football so he could pursue his medical residency.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif says his future with the Jets (and in the NFL) could hinge on his future as a physician in Canada:
The hog molly left the door open for a possible NFL return in September, but it was anything but a sure thing.
Now another option he’ll have on his plate is staying in Canada with the CFL.
“We are happy to have proceeded with this transaction. Laurent is a football icon in Montreal and Quebec. We can only be winners in this transaction, because even if Laurent never wears an Alouettes’ uniform, he will be able to openly support his hometown team without feeling any remorse,” Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia said in a statement on the league website.
“We wish him the best success with his football career moving forward, and are satisfied knowing that if he does play in Canada, he will do so in a city and a stadium that he knows very well. He would also finally be able to wear the letters M.D. on the back of his jersey like he has been wanting to do.”
A Tough Sell
LDT said in an interview that he has earned the right to choose what he does with his future. He felt confident in his choice of putting football aside because he fully expects NFL interest if and when he returns to the game in September.
Throughout the offseason, Duvernay-Tardif has said he thoroughly enjoyed his experience with the Jets and would love to return if things work out.
If that does happen in 2022, LDT no longer has a starting job waiting for him in the Jets lineup.
Gang Green signed veteran guard Laken Tomlinson to a three-year deal for over $40 million. He will start at left guard and promising youngster Alijah Vera-Tucker will be flipping over to the right guard spot as the other starter.
General manager Joe Douglas believes this combination has a chance to be the best in the NFL.
The #Jets wanted to build a wall around QB Zach Wilson (@ZachWilson) & they did.
GM Joe Douglas called Laken Tomlinson (@laken77) + Alijah Vera-Tucker (@ALIJAHVT) “one of, if not the best guard combinations” in the #NFL & he is freaking right! What a turnaround! #TakeFlight
In other words, if LDT returns he would serve as a swing option off the bench, or else he will have to find greener pastures elsewhere if he is seeking playing time.
That was an important factor in him initially waiving his rare no-trade clause to join the Jets.
Although I’d venture to say outside of a late injury there won’t be a starting job for LDT anywhere in the NFL in 2022 come September.
NFL teams can’t wait for players to make up their minds, they have decisions to make with their own rosters. By September things are pretty solidified as it comes to the starting lineup with regular season games right around the corner.
Douglas has said it plenty of times over the last few months, you can never have enough depth and he’d welcome LDT back with open arms. We’ll see if that feeling is mutual over the next couple of months.
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