The Jets will have a familiar face in the middle of the offensive line in 2023. The team announced on Monday that it has re-signed center Connor McGovern.
The 29-year old began his career in Denver, where he showed the ability to play at both center and guard. He had an offer to remain in Denver, but it was withdrawn after they landed Graham Glasgow in free agency in 2020. That left McGovern free to head elsewhere, and he landed in New York on a three-year, $27M deal.
Over the course of that contract, the former fifth-rounder has been a mainstay up front for the Jets, starting all 48 games he appeared in. That includes being on the field for every snap of the 2022 campaign, a feat not matched by any other lineman on the team, as the rest of New York’s group suffered a multitude of injuries. McGovern delivered a solid, if unspectacular, performance last season, earning an overall PFF grade of 69.6, the third-highest mark of his career.
In a free agent class featuring a few experienced options up front – along with his namesake, who ultimately signed with the Bills last month – McGovern was expected to have a viable market from the Jets and other center-needy teams. The fact that he was still available this late into free agency demonstrates the degree to which that wasn’t the case, but a reunion with the Jets was always considered a logical development.
With McGovern in place, New York’s interior O-line is set with guards Laken Tomlinson and Alijah Vera-Tucker also on the books. The tackle spot could see an addition during the first round of this week’s draft, as the Jets look to add more stability and depth up front after being hit hard by injuries last season. Regardless of whether or not they do so, though, they will have consistency and familiarity under center.
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