Under the previous regime, New York Jets second-round center Joe Tippmann was considered one of the better young centers in the game. The Wisconsin product was seen as a young pillar to build around going into the 2025 season.
The new regime may have its own plans for the 24-year-old, though.
Speaking to reporters Sunday afternoon down in Palm Beach, Florida, Jets general manager Darren Mougey that abundantly clear in front of reporters.
Jets Tease Center Competition
A big part of the free agent signing of former Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers was the fact that he had over 50 games as a starter and could be an excellent backup/depth signing for Tippmann.
That may not be the case, though, according to Mougey.
“Josh is a guy that’s played a lot of good football in this league, has a lot of experience, and it never hurts to add good depth to the position and competition,” Mougey said. “We know [Joe] Tippmann’s played right guard and [Alijah] Vera-Tucker’s played right tackle, so [Myers] does give you some flexibility. But really, the emphasis was just adding competition and good depth to the room.”
New York’s general manager went on to explain that Vera-Tucker would be focusing his efforts as the team’s starting right guard instead of tackle.
If AVT is going to focus his efforts on one position, then the center position could very well be a competition going into camp – whether Tippmann was a former second-round pick or not.
During the 2024 season, Tippmann recorded an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 73.4 – eighth-best at the center position. While his pass-blocking needed work, his run-blocking was some of the best in the league at his position. However, Tippmann also struggled with his snapping.
Myers, on the other hand, recorded an overall grade of 55.4, ranking 38th out of 43 centers. He graded significantly worse than Tippmann as a run blocker but marginally better as a pass blocker.
PFF grades be damned, though. Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn have made it clear that Tippmann will need to earn his spot like almost every player on the roster.
And that should make the next few months very interesting for the Jets moving forward.
