It didn't take long into the 2026 offseason for the Patriots to address their weak offensive line, and they made the first big splash by signing guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in free agency, a former long-time Jets starter with Pro Bowl potential.
He was quickly named the next starting left guard, which pushed Jared Wilson back to his natural position at center and gave the offense the much-needed depth it lacked throughout the 2025 season.
Although he was deemed a risky signing, given his injury-plagued background since being drafted in 2021, he is still a former first-round pick and has shown he can play up to that standard when he's on the field. He's just had the bad fortune of serious injuries throughout his career, some of which may have come from playing at MetLife Stadium over the years, a venue players have complained about.
Regardless, he's an immediate upgrade for the offensive line, and Vera-Tucker has already made it clear that he's loving being a part of the Patriots. That message clearly reached the Jets, who made a big splash with a contract extension over the past week.
There's a slight chance it's just a coincidence that it was with the player who is expected to replace Vera-Tucker on their offense this fall.
Jets want to make sure Alijah Vera-Tucker knows they won't miss him in 2026
Since being drafted in 2023, lineman Joe Tippmann hadn't found a long-term role within the Jets' offensive line until Vera-Tucker suffered another injury last season. That allowed now 25-year-old to take over his role for the season, and because of his performance, he was handsomely rewarded with a massive contract.
It was reported this past week that Tippmann received a four-year, $62 million contract extension with New York, officially tying him to the franchise through the 2030 season.
It was a much-needed move for a team that is presumed to be building a roster to surround a young quarterback in the near future, but it also seemed to send a message to Vera-Tucker, who left in free agency for the Patriots.
Whether the Jets even wanted the guard back is unclear, but it didn't take them long to name his replacement and extend him an extension for his performance. It comes just days after Vera-Tucker arguably dissed his former team while complimenting the Patriots, and it's hard not to connect the two, even if it is just coincidental timing.
Regardless, the Patriots and Vera-Tucker aren't looking back and have one thing on their minds: winning games. The Jets might be thinking the same, but at the end of the day, they're still the Jets, and they're not expected to do much winning any time soon.
That's part of what makes stealing a player like Vera-Tucker more fun for Patriots fans, and it'll be even better if he has the best season of his career in 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google