Alijah Vera-Tucker has been the Jets’ best and most versatile offensive lineman for the last two seasons.
However, the 24-year-old has only played 12 games in two years due to multiple season-ending injuries.
“It sucks, man,” Vera-Tucker said earlier this week. “The biggest thing is, I want to contribute to the team. When I can’t be out there just watching from the stands or the TV, it is very hard.
“I try to stay locked in and give guys advice when they ask for it and share my opinions as well. Especially looking at the game, snow game, I never played in a snow game, and I told my wife, ‘Dang, that would be so much fun right now.’
“My opportunity will come, so all I gotta do is stay locked in, wait for my moment and take advantage of it.”
Vera-Tucker was selected 14th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He started 16 games at left guard that year and allowed just two sacks in 1,027 snaps.
But Vera-Tucker’s last two seasons have been cut short ironically at the Broncos’ Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. He tore a triceps tendon in October 2022 during the second quarter of a victory over the Broncos and missed the final 11 games.
Almost a year later, on Oct. 8 at Denver, Vera-Tucker tore his Achilles and missed the rest of the season after backpedaling and trying to protect quarterback Zach Wilson. He stayed in the game for a snap before going to the locker room.
Vera-Tucker has played in 28 of 51 games during the last three seasons. But there’s a level of optimism that he will be ready for the start of the 2024 season.
Vera-Tucker is walking normally and is out of his boot. He was the third Jets player that was lost for the 2023 season due to a torn Achilles. Aaron Rodgers tore his four plays into his Week 1 start against the Bills. Defensive tackle Al Woods suffered the same fate during the Jets’ 13-10 overtime win versus the Giants on Oct. 29.
“Definitely emotional right then and there,” Vera-Tucker said about his Achilles injury. “My family was able to come in the locker room and say what’s up to me. I kind of had a feeling on what it was, but didn’t want to think that way.
“I really couldn’t go to sleep all night waiting for the MRI. It is something that I’ve been through before last year, so I know how to handle it mentally. Physically, it is a little bit different, but my mind is in a good place right now. We are just locked in and ready to keep on grinding.”
During his short time in the NFL, Vera-Tucker has played every offensive line position except center. After playing left guard in his rookie season, Vera-Tucker moved to right guard in 2022 after the Jets signed left guard Laken Tomlinson.
After injuries began to surface on the Jets offensive line, Vera-Tucker started at left tackle in Week 4 after an injury to George Fant. He then moved to right tackle in Week 5 after an injury to Max Mitchell and started the next three games in 2022 before his triceps injury.
Vera-Tucker returned to right guard in 2023 but was moved to right tackle after Mekhi Becton moved to left tackle following Duane Brown’s hip injury. Gang Green suffered a ton of injuries on the offensive line this season and used 13 combinations in 17 games.
Jets coach Robert Saleh loves Vera-Tucker’s versatility but hopes to keep him at one position moving forward.
“A lot of reasons to believe that some of the injuries are because of his curses, his ability to move from one spot to another,” Saleh said. “His versatility and not sure if that’s contributing to why he got hurt the last two years.
“His first year he played one position and stayed healthy the whole year. So whatever we decide, whether it’s left guard, right guard, right tackle, left tackle, we want him to stay in that spot and never move through hell or high water, regardless of injury. To give him the chance to play and stay healthy for 2024.”
The Jets offensive line will look a lot different in 2024. Becton is a free agent along with Brown, who both were starters at tackle to begin last season. Vera-Tucker says he will need to watch the film and figure out the best offensive line spot for him moving forward.
“I’m not really sure, I really can’t answer that right now. I feel like I have to go back and look at the tape from left guard, right guard, tackle and really study myself and see which one I feel comfortable with because I really have no preference where I play. It is something that I’m going to look at and go upstairs and talk to Saleh and [general manager] Joe D [Douglas] about.”
2024 OPPONENTS
The 2024 schedule release is four months away. However, we already know what opponents the Jets will play next season.
Because of the yearly schedule rotation, the Jets will play all the AFC South and NFC West teams. Because they finished third in the AFC East, the Jets will have a third-place schedule and play the Steelers, the Vikings on the road, and the Broncos at home.
After playing nine home games in 2023, the Jets will play eight at MetLife next season.
Home: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Broncos, Texans, Colts, Rams, Seahawks
Away: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Cardinals, 49ers, Vikings, Jaguars, Titans, Steelers
