Amid the NFL’s dead period, the New York Jets made some major news, signing offensive lineman Joe Tippmann to a four-year, $66.4 million contract on Monday.
Is it an overpay? Or did the Jets get solid value for their right guard of the future?
Joe Tippmann’s Jets career
Tippmann, 25, was selected by Gang Green in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft. Since being drafted, he has started 48 out of a possible 51 games for the Jets.
While the Jets drafted him as a center, he began his rookie year at right guard due to injuries along the line. In 2024, he served as the Jets’ starting center and graded out very well. His 73.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked ninth among 47 qualified centers, while his 77.3 pass-blocking mark ranked eighth.
However, he moved out to right guard again for the 2025 season after Alijah Vera-Tucker’s season-ending injury caused the Jets to shuffle around their offensive line. Tippmann slid to right guard, and Josh Myers was promoted to center.
Despite some struggles to begin the season, following a last-second position switch, he finished the year on a high note. From Weeks 7-18, Tippmann led all right guards with an 81.4 pass-blocking grade from PFF.
Entering Year 2 at the spot full-time, he’s looking to take another step forward and show that level of play over a 17-game sample size, which is highly plausible.
Did the Jets overpay Joe Tippmann?
Tippmann’s extension marks the Jets’ second this offseason and Darren Mougey’s seventh since becoming the Jets’ general manager last January.
His deal ranks 14th in APY (Average Per Year) among guards at $16.6 million per year. That’s excellent value for a 25-year-old second-round guard who is still ascending at his position.
Similar to the Breece Hall extension, this is another perfect example of Mougey taking matters into his own hands and setting the market instead of waiting for the market to be set and paying an even higher price.
Instead of risking Tippmann hitting the open market next offseason and potentially receiving a more lucrative deal, Mougey was once again proactive with one of his young building blocks, handing him a well-deserved extension over a month before training camp.
Homegrown offensive linemen with Tippmann’s versatility don’t come around often, and when they do, you need to take care of them.
Now, with the exception of Geno Smith, the Jets have every one of their projected offensive starters under contract through the 2027 season.
