New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New York Jets already suffered a grueling blow before starting the 2025 season.
New York confirmed the worst-case scenario regarding Alijah Vera-Tucker. Head coach Aaron Glenn announced on Thursday that the offensive lineman is out for the season after tearing his triceps.
Vera-Tucker suffered the injury during Tuesday’s practice, and reports emerged that the Jets feared a significant diagnosis. It’s another major setback for the 26-year-old, who tore his triceps on his other arm in 2022.
The 2021 first-round pick also tore his Achilles in 2023, limiting him to a dozen combined games in those two injury-shortened seasons. Vera-Tucker returned to start 15 games at right guard for the Jets last season.
Last week, Jets players voted Vera-Tucker as one of their six captains for the 2025 season. He’s the longest-tenured player on an offensive line that must quickly reshuffle to protect offseason signing Justin Fields in a Week 1 matchup against his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s particularly brutal timing for Vera-Tucker entering the final year of his rookie contract. NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal recently ranked him as next offseason’s No. 8 free agent and second-best offensive lineman behind Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.
The Jets have finished ahead of the Patriots in the AFC East standings in each of the last two years, but they haven’t won the division since 2002. They’re also looking to snap the NFL’s longest playoff drought by earning their first postseason appearance since 2010.
New England and New York don’t play their first of two games until Week 11’s “Thursday Night Football” matchup at Gillette Stadium.
