The New York Jets were dealt a massive blow on Thursday when starting right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker suffered an apparent season-ending triceps injury.
The O-line was expected to be the strength of the Jets’ offense. Losing Vera-Tucker puts a dent in that expectation.
#Jets standout G Alijah Vera-Tucker did, in fact suffer a torn triceps that will knock him out indefinitely, land him on IR, and almost certainly end his season, sources say.
AVT, injured during a 1-on-1 drill, was playing his best football & was poised to help the young OLs. pic.twitter.com/GtoZX8Bmd6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 4, 2025
Head coach Aaron Glenn must now decide how to proceed.
The Jets have two internal options when it comes to replacing Vera-Tucker in the lineup. They could simply promote backup Xavier Newman, or they could shift things around by putting starting center Joe Tippmann at guard, and insert veteran Josh Myers at center.
The Jets held a peculiar offseason competition between Tippmann and Myers at center. Fans never quite comprehended Glenn’s thinking. Tippmann is an ascending blocker at the position, and Myers was league-average at that spot for the Green Bay Packers.
Ironically enough, that competition could now help the Jets survive losing Vera-Tucker.
The logical course of action is to start Myers at center and Tippmann at right guard. Myers is a better overall player than Newman, so that’s how the Jets get their best starting five on the field. The fact that both Myers and Tippmann routinely received first-team reps throughout training camp helped prepare both interior blockers for starting roles.
Tippmann is a better center than guard, but extenuating circumstances require creative solutions.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets’ center competition could help with Alijah Vera-Tucker injury
