NFL training camp begins at the end of July, which means players across the league are getting their final offseason work done before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.
For some players, this season is what some might call “all or nothing,” meaning they need to have a productive year or they could look for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
We will highlight these players for the Jetsstarting with guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
2023 Statistics
– Five games (all as starters)
– Two bags allowed
– A penalty
Why make or break?
The Jets opted to exercise Vera-Tucker’s fifth-year option, so he should be under contract through 2025 anyway. However, a good season in 2024 could propel him to a big-money contract extension that could be among the biggest ever given to an offensive lineman.
Vera-Tucker’s play is widely respected in league circles, but he will need to prove he can stay on the field after suffering season-ending injuries in each of the last two seasons.
Head coach Roberto Saleh said Vera-Tucker will remain at right guard for the entire season rather than moving around to fill in for injured teammates as he has in recent years. While it’s not certain this had anything to do with his injuries, it could have affected his effectiveness, slowed his progress and prevented him from developing chemistry with his teammates.
What will break this?
This year, Vera-Tucker can’t afford to get hurt again, otherwise the Jets may have to start planning for a future without him. The hope is that he will be healthy in time for training camp, but the Jets will undoubtedly be cautious.
One positive factor is that at least the two injuries (an Achilles tear and a biceps tear) are unrelated. Additionally, Vera-Tucker started 16 games as a rookie and didn’t miss any college time, so it would be premature to label him as injury-prone or particularly susceptible to a certain type of injury. He’s just been unlucky the last two years and hopefully that will reverse in 2024.
Returning from an Achilles injury is no easy task, but at least Vera-Tucker is a player who relies primarily on intelligence and technique to succeed, so hopefully he can still play at a high level.
The good news is that at least the Jets aren’t playing in Denver — where all the season-ending injuries happened — this time.
What will happen?
Vera-Tucker’s premature departure over the past two seasons makes it difficult to remember how impressive he was when he was in the lineup — and the line as a group has typically been much better when he’s been there, too. He makes a difference as a run blocker and is just as reliable in pass protection.
The fact that he has achieved this by often having to play tackle rather than the natural guard position is a testament to Vera-Tucker’s talent and versatility, but this season will be about maximizing his impact. Hopefully updates made elsewhere in the line will make this easier as well.
The Jets have long believed that a healthy Vera-Tucker could be one of the best offensive linemen in the league and have every intention of rewarding him with a contract that reflects that. However, that won’t happen until he can prove that the injury problems of the last two years are behind him.
