New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn made it clear when he first walked into the building that every player would need to compete for their role on the 2025 roster.
In typical NFL fashion, the bright young stars on the Jets have supplanted into their normal roles early in the offseason workout process. New additions have even made an impression already.
As the Jets begin the second week of their OTA schedule, though, there is one particular position that has raised eyebrows across the fanbase.
It’s one where a perceived starter may be on the outs; and for all of the good Glenn has done so far, this decision stands out as an oddity.
Jets’ Position Questions Take Odd Turn
When the Jets signed former Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers to a one-year deal worth just $3 million, the original thought was that he would be an excellent role player behind the likes of former second-round pick Joe Tippmann.
Glenn made it clear at league meetings, though, that Myers would be competing with the young center. That reality hit even harder when starting guard John Simpson commented on the position battle.
“Josh … he’s super smart. He’s one of those guys you can draw something up for, and he can figure it out,” Simpson said during OTAs. “Same thing for Tipp. Those guys are battling their asses off and just competing. Both are super intelligent and fighting. They are warriors.”
Would the Jets actually sit a talented third-year center for a veteran on a modest one-year deal? Why would they even create a position battle for or a player who was quite good in 2024 to begin with?
Based on most metrics, Tippmann is a better player than Myers. He was the league’s ninth-best center in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. In particular, the Wisconsin product was one of the best run blockers at his position.
Myers, meanwhile, has 56 starts over his career, but is below average at best, which is why the Packers did not retain him.
So what gives?
Why are the Jets creating a position battle for a player who doesn’t deserve to have to go through something like that?
As things stand right now, it doesn’t seem like there are position battles across the board for other “perceived starters.” Most other positions didn’t have someone with a personal connection to the starting quarterback, though.
Impact of Justin Fields
New York isn’t giving Tippmann a fair shake here. The clearest example of this comes with their new starting quarterback.
When the Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal, the perception was that he would get the chance to be the team’s starting quarterback after a competition of sorts.
New York, and Glenn in particular, made it clear that there would be no such thing. Fields was QB1 going into the 2025 season.
There can be an argument that Tippmann as a center has been more impactful as a player than Fields has shown through his career as a starting quarterback. The former Ohio State product has been one of the NFL’s least efficient passers over the past four years.
It’s a big reason why he is on his third team in as many years.
It also can’t be overlooked that following Fields’ signing, the Jets agreed to terms on a deal with Myers, his college center. New York isn’t wrong for surrounding Fields with players he is familiar with.
Potentially putting them on the field over players who have been better is something entirely apart, though.
Tippmann has shown enough to be the team’s starting center moving forward. Whether Glenn was the one to draft him or not is irrelevant. If the organization actually felt that Myers could be a starter on the team, you would think they would have signed him to a larger deal than just the $3 million he received.
Tippmann should be the starting center. He may end up being so anyway.
But putting him through a perceived competition (based on what Simpson said) while other positions have seemingly been solved is an early oddity from the Glenn era.
