The New York Jets’ offensive line has suffered a major blow just days ahead of the 2025 season opener.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Jets right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker has suffered “a potentially serious injury and could miss significant time.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that the injury is to Vera-Tucker’s arm, and it could require surgery. Vera-Tucker is seeking a second opinion.
While the specifics of the arm injury are unknown at this point, it would be the second significant arm injury of Vera-Tucker’s career. In 2022, Vera-Tucker suffered a season-ending torn triceps in the team’s Week 7 win over the Denver Broncos.
Injuries continue to plague the fifth-year guard. One year after his torn triceps, Vera-Tucker’s 2023 season ended with a torn Achilles in Week 5, also occurring in Denver.
Vera-Tucker stayed healthy for 15 starts in 2024 and established himself as one of the best right guards in the NFL. The Jets did not discuss an extension with him, though, electing to ride out his fifth-year option in 2025.
The Jets’ offensive line will undergo a shift if Vera-Tucker misses Sunday’s opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Based on their preseason rotation, the Jets would likely start Josh Myers at center while kicking Joe Tippmann over to right guard.
New York got positive news on the injury front on Tuesday, as Sauce Gardner, John Simpson, and Quinnen Williams were confirmed to be healthy and ready to play after missing recent practices. The last-second loss of Vera-Tucker is a critical blow for an offense that projects to rely heavily on its offensive line, looking to run the ball heavily and provide high-level protection for a quarterback who struggles with holding the ball too long.
More details to come.