The New York Jets have rebuilt their offensive line after years of investment. Armand Membou, Olu Fashanu, and Joe Tippmann form the core leading the resurgence. Veterans Josh Myers and Dylan Parham round out the group.

Heading into 2026, the Jets’ offensive line has a strong claim as the best unit on the team. Depending on how things shake out, they may even crack the top 10 units in the NFL.

However, there is one glaring weakness that can tank the entire group.

As Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania already broke down, the Jets made the questionable decision not to address the center position this offseason.

Instead, they’re relying on Josh Myers and Xavier Newman to hold down the fort.

The main benefit Myers brings is experience. He’s started 73 games in his career, including at least 16 in each of the past four seasons.

Unfortunately, Myers hasn’t played particularly well in that time. Myers has consistently been rated among the worst centers in the NFL. This continued with the Jets, where Myers received a career-low 52.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the second-worst mark among qualified centers.

When the Jets signed Myers to a one-year, $2 million deal in March 2025, the signing made sense. While he’s a bottom-tier starter, he is a quality depth piece.

When Alijah Vera-Tucker went down for the season in August, Myers stepped in. Darren Mougey’s mistake was rewarding his presence with a raise and no competition.

Now the Jets are in a pickle. In late July, the remaining free agent centers don’t inspire confidence. Meanwhile, any trade for a player worth getting would cost draft capital that could be used to select a long-term solution instead.

Barring a major leap in Myers’ sixth season, is there any way the Jets can upgrade the position?

There may be one option: a player already on the Jets’ roster who looked like an up-and-coming center in 2024.

The Jets should move Joe Tippmann back to center

The Jets’ best option may be returning Joe Tippmann to center, the position he played in college and was poised to play for the Jets in 2025.

Drafted 43rd overall in 2023, Tippmann quickly joined the Jets’ starting lineup and hasn’t looked back despite multiple position changes.

After starting his rookie season at right guard, Tippmann moved back to center for the second half of 2023, where he showed promise. In 2024, he opened the season as New York’s starting center and held the position down for 17 games.

Tippmann was on his way to establishing himself as a top center. In 2024, Tippmann ranked eighth among qualified centers (min. 400 snaps) in PFF’s overall grade (73.4), including seventh in run PFF’s run-blocking grade (77.3).

This past season, the Jets were prepared to start Tippmann at center once again. That only changed because of Alijah Vera-Tucker’s injury.

Tippmann played well at guard, but he wasn’t as impressive as he was at center; his overall PFF grade dropped from 73.4 in 2024 to 66.0 in 2025.

At center, Tippmann’s ability as a blocker isn’t in question. The one area he would need to improve is his snap accuracy. If he fixes that, he could be one of the best centers in the NFL.

By sliding Tippmann over to center, the Jets would have many more options to improve at guard.

Jets X-Factor’s Connor Long highlighted one of the best remaining options in Kevin Zeitler. Despite turning 36, the veteran is still one of the top guards in the NFL. With him, the Jets’ offensive line wouldn’t have a weakness, giving them legitimate top-five potential if the young centerpieces continue to improve.

While not an ideal solution, reshuffling the offensive line may be the best option to elevate the unit. But is it worth the potential cost?

Is re-shuffling the OL worth it?

While moving Tippmann back to center can give the Jets their best offensive line for 2026, is it worth it?

This isn’t Madden; switching positions isn’t that simple. Since joining the Jets, Tippmann filled in at guard, moved to center, and then went back to guard. While his versatility has kept the Jets’ offensive line afloat, the shuffling may also be negatively impacting his development.

Tippmann got off to a shaky start in 2025, but as he settled in, he showed immense progress, especially in pass protection. From Week 7 on, Tippmann had the best PFF pass-blocking grade among right guards at 81.4, while his 70.5 overall grade placed 15th.

Beyond Tippmann, a reshuffle would also impact the offensive line’s cohesion. It’s hard to develop chemistry when players are constantly moving around. This could be responsible for the miscommunications New York has seen so much of over the years.

Does the benefit outweigh the risk?

The Jets have already extended Tippmann, so he’s clearly in their long-term plans. Only time will tell whether that will be at guard or center.

If the Jets want to put the most talented group of five linemen on the field, their strongest move is to slide Tippmann back to center and sign a quality guard like Zeitler. But if they prioritize continuity, expect them to roll with Myers at center.