As we get closer to the start of training camp, the New York Jets know they have a couple of leftover questions from the offseason to answer.
Despite solving several major roster needs, the Jets have to decide what to do with some of their top young talents, like cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Both New York stars are eligible for contract extensions and are pushing for a deal to be done sooner rather than later.
They aren’t the only ones searching for a new contract, though.
There is another player on the roster who needs a new deal just as much as Wilson or Gardner.
Jets’ Underrated Player to Re-Sign
When healthy, Alijah Vera-Tucker has been one of the best guards in football since his draft selection in 2021. Last season, he received a Pro Football Focus grade of 77.7, good for 11th-best among guards to play at least 500 snaps.
Vera-Tucker is a very good player. He’s as talented in pass blocking as he is in the running game and has anchored the Jets’ offensive line for the last few years.
As the 26-year-old enters the fifth and final season of his rookie deal, the Jets must determine what to do with him.
Based on the current market for guards in free agency, Vera-Tucker knows that he will be getting a lucrative contract over the next year. The only question is if it’s with the Jets or with another team.
New York must ensure that the new deal is with them.
AVT’s problem is that he hasn’t been consistently healthy. He has missed 24 games in the last three years. So, while the Jets would be smart to give him an extension that pays him as one of the best guards in the game, there is some concern that he won’t be healthy enough to play through the entire length of that deal.
Of course, good offensive linemen are hard to find nowadays, especially with a rising salary cap.
Currently, five guards make an average of over $20 million per year on their deals. Some of those players are among the elites of the game, like Kansas City Chiefs star Trey Smith or the Philadelphia Eagles’ Landon Dickerson. Others, like Robert Hunt, are good players who received massive extensions during the 2025 offseason.
It’s a safe bet to assume that, if Vera-Tucker makes it to the open market next season, he will be another member of the $20 million-a-year club at guard.
This is what makes his current contract situation so important for the Jets. The organization isn’t necessarily wrong for waiting to see if the USC product can stay healthy for a full 17 games, but they are only increasing the amount of money they would need to give him in the future.
If the team isn’t careful, Vera-Tucker could play well out of his current price range. Seeing one of their best players walk the following year would defeat the purpose of building a young offensive line.
Gardner and Wilson are two players who need contract extensions this offseason. There is no denying that.
But they are also under contract past the 2025 season. Vera-Tucker is not. The Jets could try to extend all three of their top players, but there needs to be more of a push for the starting guard than people think.