ANew York Jets offensive lineman wants to put a ring on it.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic has been told that starting right guard Joe Tippmann “would love to sign a new deal with the Jets early, especially now that his value has increased playing (and thriving) at guard as opposed to center, the position they drafted him to play.”
Tippmann, 24, will turn 25 before the start of the 2026 season. He has one year left on his $8.3 million rookie contract. However, NFL players are eligible to sign extensions following the conclusion of their third season.
A Looming Big Decision That Not Enough People Are Thinking About
Tippmann is under contract for the 2026 season. Technically, the Jets don’t have to do anything if they don’t want to.
However, if they want to be proactive, this is the first offseason that they’d be allowed to have extension talks with Tippmann.
The former Wisconsin product has played multiple positions on the offensive line since being drafted by the Jets.
Tippmann has split his time between center (1,720 snaps) and right guard (1,243 snaps), per Pro Football Focus.
It appears he has found his forever home after playing exclusively right guard in 2025.
The only reason that happened is that before the season, Alijah Vera-Tucker blew out his triceps. That forced the Jets to call an audible at the line of scrimmage, which rearranged the starting depth chart in the trenches.
AVT is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. That sets the stage for Tippmann to remain at right guard heading into 2026.
Permanent Address Change for Tippmann
If that change is permanent with Tippmann jumping from center to right guard, that would greatly help his wallet.
According to Over The Cap, the highest-paid center in the NFL makes $18 million per season (Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs).
The highest-paid right guard in the league makes a robust $23.5 million per season (Trey Smith of the Chiefs), per Over The Cap.
That is a sizable $5.5 million difference between the top of those two respective positions.
Tippmann Is the Type of Player You Want to Pay
Tippmann entered the league as the No. 43 overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Across his three years in the NFL, Tippmann has only missed one game. He has started 44 consecutive games heading into the 2026 campaign.
Tippmann has been available, and he has played wherever the coaching staff has needed him.
This past season, the Jets had the same starting five for the full season. They were the only NFL team to accomplish that in 2025. That was also the first time a Jets team had done that since 2012.
The key to the Jets turning their franchise around is their offensive line. Continuity is key. It was important in 2025, and it’ll be important moving into the future.
This offseason, the Jets must likely decide between John Simpson and AVT, who are both pending free agents. While Tippmann isn’t set to hit the open market until 2027, they would be wise to consider an extension to get in front of it and lock in one of their own.
Jets 24-Year-Old OL Wants to Sign Early Extension: Insider