The New York Jets got a harsh reality check from former first-round draft pick and starting offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, who did not play in 2025 due to injuries and signed with the AFC East rival New England Patriots in free agency this offseason.
Asked directly about the biggest difference between the two organizations, Vera-Tucker, who inked a three-year, $42 million contract in New England, spoke candidly about his first NFL club.
He said it was “funny” that the question came up, because he was going to “bring this up later.”
“I feel like just, unfortunately, with the Jets, they haven’t been to the playoffs in–I think since like 2010 or something like that. So then, you almost kind of–it’s just like a, it’s almost like a bad thing to say,” Vera-Tucker told Mitch Morse on “In Good Company” on September 15.
But with all the losing, you almost get accustomed to it. You almost get numb to it, and nobody wants that. Especially as a competitor in this league, nobody wants to feel that way, right? But it just almost becomes the norm, you know? And I’m sure, eventually, they’ll turn it around, for sure. But yeah, that’s probably just a night-and-day difference.”
The 14th overall pick in 2021, Vera-Tucker has actually only seen the Patriots in a relative down period for them as a pro. The Patriots rank 18th in wins in that time, but the Jets are 32nd.
They have just one Super Bowl appearance in that span. That does not change the reality.
“When you walk in here, it’s like losing isn’t really an option,” he said. “If we’re being real, with the history they’ve had, and the greatness they’ve had here, it’s like you got to keep that rolling, because the fans, they’ll be on your a** about that.”
Jets Hope Downtrodden Era Ending
The Jets have a long way to go to undo the kind of malaise Vera-Tucker described. They got off to a good start in Week 1, with a win over the Tennessee Titans, and they will face a stiff challenge in the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.
Still, Vera-Tucker was spot on in his assessment of the Jets’ playoff drought beginning in 2010.
Since then, the Patriots have made the postseason 11 times in 16 seasons. They have six trips to the Super Bowl and three wins in the big game.
The last Jets Super Bowl berth was also their last victory in the finale, defeating the then-Baltimore Colts (now Indianapolis) in 1969. That was the contest Hall of Famer and NFL legend Joe Namath famously guaranteed his Jets would win.
A 1-0 start greatly improves the Jets’ odds of reaching the postseason.
However, the Patriots are not leaving the division. The same is true of the Buffalo Bills. At some point, the Jets must make hay in the AFC East; hopefully, before the Miami Dolphins get right.
Until then, Vera-Tucker’s sentiments should come as no surprise, and they should motivate head coach Aaron Glenn and the Jets to keep chipping away in hopes of returning the franchise to its previous glory (or at least becoming a perennial playoff team).
Jets Get Cold Truth From $42 Million Former First-Round Pick After Patriots Move