New York Jets center Joe Tippmann has seen the ups and downs that an NFL season can bring.
In 2024, he was under scrutiny throughout training camp. A week-long struggle to consistently snap the football terrified both his coaches and Jets fans heading into the season.
Tippmann shrugged off those snap issues from camp to become one of the bright up-and-coming centers in the game. Pro Football Focus ranked his 73.4 overall grade ninth among centers.
However, things have changed for Tippmann in New York. Instead of becoming a pillar for the organization, the former second-round pick has been thrust into a position battle with veteran Josh Myers.
I caught up with Tippmann following the Jets’ 31-12 loss to the New York Giants on Saturday night. The third-year center addressed not only his performance on the field, but also his standing with the organization.
Tippmann speaks out on role, improvements
While Tippmann’s high snaps certainly aren’t as common as they were last season, he has struggled with them in practice over the last few weeks. In New York’s loss on Saturday, Tippmann had several snaps almost go over the head of his quarterback.
Speaking to me after the game, Tippmann explained what is behind his high snaps.
“It’s a problem of me being excited,” Tippmann told Jets X-Factor. “I want to get out, I want to get moving so the snap comes out high.”
Tippmann isn’t the only center to go through something like this. Former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro and future Hall-of-Famer Jason Kelce has talked about his early career struggles with high snaps.
Another possible factor in Tippmann’s snapping struggles is his positional versatility. When left guard John Simpson was lost for a week due to an injury during camp, Tippmann stepped in for him.
The shift back to center has been a fast adjustment, but it’s something Tippmann has already had to deal with before.
“I don’t think so,” Tippmann said when asked if the move to guard had affected his ability to snap the ball consistently. “I think being able to learn different positions just increases my depth as a backup and player.
“It has taught me how to help my guards play better. It’s something that has definitely helped me out.”
The good news for both Tippmann and the Jets is that while he is working on those snap concerns, his on-field performance when it comes to blocking hasn’t changed.
It’s a big reason why he is considered the favorite to win the center job, even if the Jets won’t officially name a starter just yet. Many fans were perplexed by the organization opening up a camp battle for a player who was seemingly a cornerstone for the team.
Once Myers came in, though, things changed.
Despite Tippmann’s standing as a top 10 player at his position, the young center believes there were plenty of things last season that he could improve upon in 2025.
“I know those PFF numbers could be giving me something I don’t deserve,” he said. “I went back and watched everything, looked at how I did…I knew I needed improvements and definitely want to take that next step.”
To take that next step, Tippmann will need to officially beat out Myers in the eyes of his coaching staff. Where he is now, it seems that could be a foregone conclusion after two successful (but imperfect) preseason contests.
The center credits that position battle for helping him tremendously heading into 2025.
“I’m never complacent,” Tippmann said. “I think I’ve made strides. Battling Josh, he’s a great player. I’ve learned from him and used aspects in his game to help my game further.”
Tippmann is not a finished product. He knows that. The Wisconsin product has to figure out a way to solve his snapping issues once and for all.
After Saturday’s contest against the G-Men, those concerns are not entirely gone. Nonetheless, Tippmann again showed that he is a player on the verge of taking the next step and becoming a star at his natural position.