The New York Jets have handed out more than a quarter of a billion dollars this offseason to their players.
It appears there could be some more money left under the couch cushions.
On Thursday, July 24, head coach Aaron Glenn waxed poetic about starting right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
“Man, he is a great player, and hopefully at some point we can start to talk and try to get something done, but absolutely, he is [a foundational piece]. I mean, he is one of those guards that can do a lot as far as run off the ball [and] as far as pass protect. He is a big, strong man that has been critical to how we want to play offensive football. Absolutely, he is one of those guys,” Glenn said.
HC Aaron Glenn called OL Alijah Vera-Tucker a ‘great player.’
AVT is scheduled to be a free agent in 2026.
‘Hopefully at some point we can start to talk & try to get something done.’ 👀
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said, “It sounds like they’re interested in extending right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, who’s playing on a fifth-year option ($15 million). For the first time since 2022, Vera-Tucker isn’t coming off major surgery.”
Jets Have Some Key Free Agents Looming in 2026
According to Spotrac, the Jets have eight starters who are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents next offseason.
Two of those eight come on the offensive line.
Vera-Tucker and John Simpson, the Jets’ two starting guards, are on the edge of reaching free agency.
Continuity on the offensive line has alluded the Jets for the better part of a decade. That has likely fed into the team’s lack of success.
40% of the Jets’ O-Line starters potentially leaving in a year is a scary thought. If the Jets can extend one of them either before the 2025 season or in the middle of it, they can put themselves in a better position.
NFL teams only have a maximum of one franchise tag to use each offseason. If the Jets lock one of them in, they can save the tag in the back pocket to use in case of an emergency.
Vera-Tucker Shares Some Brutal Honesty
“Backing on what Sauce [Gardner] and Garrett [Wilson] said, I can see this thing turning around for sure, especially with Glenn being the type of coach he is, he praises physicality but even more accountability, that’s very important for a head coach to do. I haven’t seen that a lot my first few years,” Vera-Tucker bluntly said via Nick Faria of Jets X-Factor.
There is a new era on 1 Jets Drive. Things seem to be changing. However, it must be stated that we’re still amid the honeymoon period. Everything is peaches and rainbows, games haven’t been won or lost yet. The true test will be in the regular season.
A Simple Message: Stay Healthy
If AVT can stay on the field in 2025, he will inevitably get a bag from someone.
“Right now, it’s just focusing on ball and getting the team right,” Vera-Tucker said via Faria. “But at the end of the day, I will always root for the Jets. It would be great to stay with the team that drafted me — I think everybody feels that way.”
It seems like the feeling is mutual between the Jets and Vera-Tucker. Through four seasons, it is a mixed bag. Two years have been lost to season-ending injuries. Two years have been promising building blocks with flashes of brilliance.
Year No. 5 for AVT is the rubber match. If he stays healthy, a lot of money is coming to him. However, if he struggles with injuries, the injury-prone label isn’t going anywhere.
Aaron Glenn Hints at Another Big Money Jets Signing on the Horizon