Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of a preseason game.
The New York Jets have made a final decision.
Ahead of the May 2 deadline, general manager Joe Douglas confirmed that they will pick up the fifth-year option on Alijah Vera-Tucker’s rookie contract.
“We are gonna pick that up. When we talked at the draft presser I hadn’t had a chance to talk to AVT yet. So I had the opportunity to have the conversation with him and let him know that we are going to be picking up that fifth-year option,” Douglas explained at his post-draft media availability.
Joe Douglas confirms we will pick up OL Alijah Vera-Tucker’s fifth-year option.
According to Over The Cap’s fifth-year option projections, AVT’s contract will be $15.3 million fully guaranteed. This will now keep him under team control through the 2025 season.
Douglas Cleared up Some Uneasiness About AVT’s Future
JD’s hesitance to answer questions about Vera-Tucker’s future publically this offseason raised eyebrows. That sparked speculation that perhaps the Jets were considering declining that option.
Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News said on April 19 on social media that, “Douglas didn’t sound too convincing they would pick up Alijah Vera-Tucker’s fifth-year option.”
JD provided some clarity saying he wanted to tell AVT personally before revealing that decision.
Vera-Tucker, 24, is a foundational piece on the Jets’ offensive line. When healthy he has Pro Bowl and All-Pro potential according to people in the league. However, the injuries have derailed what could have been a special start to his career.
AVT has missed 23 games through the first three years of his career. The last two years both ended with serious season-ending injuries.
The Jets believe a contributing factor to those injuries is his constant movement on the Jets’ depth chart. AVT has played every position on the offensive line outside of center because of a variety of injuries in the trenches.
However, that is expected to change. The team has committed to AVT that they plan on keeping him at one position for this upcoming year and moving forward.
Jets Draft Pick Should Ensure Honesty
Sure New York promised AVT they will keep him at one position, but NFL people lie all the time.
Douglas once infamously said All-Pro safety Jamal Adams “will be a Jet for life.” JD said that in February of 2020, Adams ended up getting traded months later in July.
Although this time it seems like the Jets will follow through. One reason for that is because of the selection of Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu.
He was snagged with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round on Thursday, April 25. Fashanu doesn’t have a starting job in 2024 outside of injury. He is penciled in as the Jets’ sixth man aka swing tackle.
If an injury were to occur to either Tyron Smith or Morgan Moses, Fashanu would get the first call off the bench.
If the Jets didn’t select Fashanu in the first round and went with another position like Brock Bowers or Rome Odunze maybe the plan would shift.
New York would be tempted to go to AVT as that sixth man if they didn’t have a Fashanu on the bench. Now they won’t have to which should keep Vera-Tucker at guard, his natural position.