Despite being a sixth-round pick, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has been a starter for nearly his entire career. The former Chiefs draftee has traversed one of the more unusual career arcs in recent memory, twice taking hiatuses to pursue his medical career north of the border.
The Canadian lineman, however, appears ready to resume his football career. The Jets are interested in a reunion, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noting (via Twitter) Duvernay-Tardif is working out for the team Wednesday.
Duvernay-Tardif, 31, started in seven of the eight games he played as a Jet last season, moving into Gang Green’s lineup shortly after being acquired at the 2021 trade deadline. Extended breaks from the game sandwiched that Jets stay. Duvernay-Tardif was the first player to opt out of the 2020 season, returning to his native country to help during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. After his Jets stay wrapped in Week 18 of last season, the Quebec native said he was returning to the medical world.
“I’m going to prioritize medicine … and we’ll see in September if there’s a fit,” the 31-year-old said in June. “After eight years in the NFL, and I don’t want to sound pretentious by saying this, but I think I’ve earned the right to do what’s best for me and not just for football and kind of bet on myself a little bit.”
LDT also battled back from a broken hand last season. That, along with 2021 sixth-round rookie Trey Smith‘s move into Kansas City’s starting lineup, led to the veteran blocker being traded to the Jets. The Chiefs used Duvernay-Tardif as a regular starter from 2014-19. He started in each of Kansas City’s three playoff games during the team’s Super Bowl LIV-winning run, playing on an extension he signed back in 2017.
The Jets have been playing without Alijah Vera-Tucker for a few weeks now. The guard-turned-tackle is out for the season after suffering an ACL tear. New York added Laken Tomlinson from San Francisco in free agency and has used offseason acquisition Nate Herbig as its starter opposite Tomlinson. Dan Feeney and Mike Remmers are currently the only backup O-linemen on the Jets’ active roster. That could change soon, with Max Mitchell being designated for return from IR and George Fant not ruled out for the season. But both Fant and Mitchell are tackles. Duvernay-Tardif could supply some help on the interior. It will be interesting to see if he pivots from medicine back to football again.
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