Alijah Vera-Tucker First-Round Pick Signs Contract

The Jets used the fifth-year option on Alijah Vera-Tucker, and the former first-round pick was supposed to use the 2025 season to bolster his value on the open market. Unfortunately, his season ended before it ever truly began, as he tore his triceps in the offseason. New York struggled without him on the field, as the team finished the year with a 3-14 record and the second-overall pick.

Alijah Vera-Tucker originally entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Selected by the New York Jets, the rookie started all 16 games for the organization and finished the year with a 66.8 PFF grade. While he played well, the Jets themselves went 4-13 and finished last in the AFC East.

Following that impressive campaign, the Jets moved Tucker all over the line in 2022. Filling in for multiple injured players, Tucker played right guard and both tackle positions in his second season before suffering a season-ending triceps injury of his own. Unfortunately, this wasn’t Vera-Tucker’s only meeting with the injury bug, as he only played five games in 2023.

Fortunately, Vera-Tucker stayed mostly healthy in 2024. Starting and appearing in 15 games, the former first-round pick spent the year protecting Aaron Rodgers as he returned from a torn Achilles injury. While Vera-Tucker played well and finished the season with a 77.7 PFF grade, the Jets themselves had another forgettable season. Despite Rodgers’ presence, the team finished the season with a 5-12 record.

Since signing his rookie contract, Alijah Vera-Tucker has started and appeared in 43 games. While the USC product has played well when healthy, he’s finished three separate campaigns on the injured reserve.