When Jets general manager Joe Douglas was asked about picking up Alijah Vera-Tucker‘s fifth-year option more than a week ago, he sounded unsure.
“We haven’t talked about that yet,” Douglas said on April 19. “But we have a little time after the draft.”
Eight days later, Douglas told reporters following the 2024 NFL Draft that the Jets will exercise their option on Vera-Tucker’s contract for the 2025 season.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to AVT yet, but yeah we are going to pick up the fifth-year option,” Douglas said.
Vera-Tucker’s option will be fully guaranteed at $15.3 million in 2025. Douglas had until May 2 to exercise or decline Vera-Tucker’s fifth-year option.
The Jets drafted Vera-Tucker in the first round of the 2021 draft at 14th overall. Since that point, Vera-Tucker has arguably been the Jets’ best offensive lineman.
Vera-Tucker is the Jets’ version of a Swiss Army Knife and has played four of five offensive line [except center] positions the last two seasons. But there was a question whether the Jets would exercise the option.
The last two seasons have been difficult for Vera-Tucker. In 2022, he tore his triceps tendon during the second quarter of a victory over the Broncos and missed the final 10 games of that year.
In 2023, at the same scene where he suffered his season-ending injury a year earlier, Vera-Tucker tore his Achilles last October and had season-ending surgery.
Vera-Tucker is expected to be the Jets’ starting right guard in 2024. After moving him around the last couple of years, they want to keep him at one set position moving forward.
To help with that, the Jets signed left tackle Tyron Smith and John Simpson this offseason. They also acquired Morgan Moses through a trade with the Ravens and drafted tackle Olu Fashanu 11th overall.