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The New York Jets pulled off a savvy deadline deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.
Right before the buzzer, the two AFC squads agreed to a trade that would send veteran offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to Gang Green in exchange for tight end Daniel Brown.
It was a rare player-for-player swap and a rare scenario for the Jets to acquire a starting-caliber offensive lineman mid-season but that is exactly what happened.
After being acquired for a backup tight end, LDT quickly entered the starting lineup for seven games and became a key cog.
Now heading into free agency, the longtime NFL pro has broken the silence on his future in the sport.
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A Culture to Build Around
During Super Bowl week, Jets stud Duvernay-Tardif was doing media rounds to talk shop and spoke with Mark Carman of FanSided about his future in the sport and whether he expected to remain with the team:
“I certainly hope so, to be honest. Again, I opted out in 2020. My goal was to go back to the football field. When I showed up in Kansas City, I broke my hand in training camp. Clearly, there was a vision of moving on with younger guys. So I had a no-trade clause and I decided to waive it in order to play. The New York Jets gave me the best opportunity to do so. I went down there and played the last eight games of the season, and now I’m a free agent. So we’ll see how things go, but I for sure set myself up to try to stay with the New York Jets.”
LDT did leave the door open to be swept off his feet in free agency by another NFL team, but really maintained he loves where he is at with Gang Green.
“I have never been a free agent before so this is going to be a new environment for me. I also have to balance medical school on the side but that is now stable which is good news. Honestly, I’m just going to let my agent work and see what they come up with. For me it has never really been a number thing, it is more about a culture thing. A fit with the coaches, mentality with the offense, and I was really pleased with my eight weeks with the Jets so I hope I stay there.”
The 6-foot-5, 321 pound Canadian-born athlete just turned 31 years old and still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Could a reunion be on the horizon?
The Feeling Is Mutual
When the talented offensive lineman initially spoke with the media during exit interviews back in January, LDT raised the possibility of his other life as a doctor affecting his immediate football future.
During his interview with Carman, he confirmed that his medical situation has figured itself out so he can now return to the gridiron in 2022.
With the focus now back to football, a reunion between the two sides seems like a no-brainer.
The Jets don’t currently have a starting right guard option on the roster and LDT filled in that role beautifully during the second half of the 2021 campaign.
At a minimum signing Duvernay-Tardif as depth and competition would be a strong move to fortify depth in the trenches.
LDT said his football future isn’t about the money, but rather the culture, coaching, and team fit. With all of the positive things he has said about his time with the green and white, they should be able to retain the experienced hog molly for a reasonable contract heading into 2022.
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