The New York Jets' 2025 season is all but over. With just two weeks to go to close out the year, the now 3-12 Jets are hoping to lose out and find a way to secure the number one overall pick to select a franchise quarterback.
One of the best ways to make sure that a new rookie quarterback can make a smooth transition into the NFL is to have a good offensive line protecting him, along with a cast of weapons at his disposal.
The Jets have a few solid receivers, and most of the offensive line is locked up, but there's still an interesting decision to make with a former first-round lineman. Alijah Vera-Tucker is a fascinating free agent decision, and according to ESPN's Rich Cimini, the Jets have a plan.
Jets have free agent plan for Alijah Vera-Tucker
"The Jets are interested in retaining Vera-Tucker, who hasn't played because of a torn triceps," Cimini writes, "But it's hard to gauge his market value because of his injury history."
Trying to re-sign a player will never be an easy task, and with the Jets interested in Vera-Tucker, his free agent market might be one of the hardest to gauge.
While Breece Hall will have plenty of interested teams ready to pay him this offseason, the market for the injured Vera-Tucker is a complete unknown.
Will any team offer him starting money? Will he land with a new team as a backup lineman? Or will the Jets find a way to bring him back on a one-year, prove-it deal?
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All of those questions are nearly impossible to figure out before he tests the market, and with the offensive line being an area teams don't want to mess up, taking the risk with Vera-Tucker might not be in the cards for some teams.
The 26-year-old former first-round pick hasn't played this season after a torn triceps before the year began, and when combined with his seven and five games played in 2022 and 2023, it's hard for the Jets lineman to make a case for a big deal.
When he's active and playing, he's a quality offensive lineman, but the issue for the 14th overall pick in the 2021 draft is staying healthy.
His free agent market will be a fascinating one, and the Jets are showing interest in a reunion after the 2025 season. It makes sense for Vera-Tucker to come back for one more year, but if another team is willing to give him a chance, he might leave the Jets.
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