Left tackle George Fant was one of a few bright spots for the Jets in 2021, and he is in line for a significant role on the team this season. When speaking to the media Wednesday, he provided updates on his health and contract statuses, among other things.
The 29-year-old said that he is “doing well” with respect to his recovery from offseason knee surgery, via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. He added that he will be recovered in time for training camp.
Assuming that is the case, he will be available to continue as a starter, looking to build off his surprising level of play at left tackle last season. Between himself, Mekhi Becton and any lineman the team selects early in the upcoming draft, the Jets will have a number of options to fill out the tackle positions.
Given his high-end play in 2021 (he allowed only 18 pressures in 15 games, ranking him third in the league), Fant was reportedly in conversation with the Jets over a new contract last month. While nothing much as materialized since then, he did say his agent “has had some talks” with the team regarding a new deal. Fant has one year remaining on his current contract, with a scheduled cap hit of $11.1M.
Further remarks Fant made, per Vacchiano, related to the current state of the Jets’ o-line. While the team lost Morgan Moses in free agency, they did add Pro Bowl guard Laken Tomlinson. He, along with 2021 first-rounder Alijah Vera-Tucker, figure to give the team an improved tandem at guard. Fant acknowledged the possibility of an addition as early as Round 1 Thursday night along the offensive front, but expressed confidence in the unit as-is, something which may be justified if, among other things, he can replicate his 2021 success.
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