Jets’ Alijah Vera-Tucker to miss rest of season with injury
New York Jets starting right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker will undergo surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the season due to a torn triceps, according to sources.
Vera-Tucker suffered the injury during Tuesday’s practice. The Jets have not yet issued official comments on the injury.
Durability has been an issue for Vera-Tucker, who has missed significant time in two of his four seasons due to various injuries, including a triceps injury that ended his season in 2022. This latest triceps injury is on the opposite arm from the one he injured in 2022. He also missed 12 games in 2023 due to a torn Achilles tendon.
The Jets were counting on Vera-Tucker, perhaps their best overall lineman, to facilitate the transition of rookie right tackle Armand Membou.
This is tough news for 26-year-old Vera-Tucker, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. Drafted in the first round of 2021, he is guaranteed $15.3 million, the amount of his fifth-year option.
At the beginning of training camp, Jets coach Aaron Glenn expressed his interest in extending Vera-Tucker’s contract. Glenn called him “a great player,” and added: “hopefully, at some point, we can try to talk and get something done.”
The offensive line, which was considered one of the Jets’ strengths, will have to be restructured as the team prepares to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Joe Tippmann, who has played right guard in the past, could move to replace Vera-Tucker. Josh Myers, a long-time starter for the Green Bay Packers, would play center. Tippmann and Myers battled throughout the summer at center, and Glenn had yet to declare a winner in that competition.
The Jets have another situation on the line that deserves attention. Left guard John Simpson missed time in the preseason due to a back ailment, but returned to practice on Tuesday and is expected to play on Sunday against the Steelers.
At the start of camp, Vera-Tucker spoke optimistically about the season, noting that this was the first offseason since 2022 in which he didn’t have to rehabilitate from a major injury.
“I tell people all the time, this is the best I’ve felt after an offseason,” he said in late July.
Vera-Tucker was voted captain earlier in the week by his teammates.
