Making sense of the NY Jets position battle featuring Joe Tippmann

Most of the New York Jets’ offensive starting positions have already been decided.

Following the completion of offseason workouts, the Jets have a pretty good idea of what they have on that side of the ball. While specific position battles are inevitable, New York has plenty to work with on offense.

It’s why the team’s most intriguing camp battle is also their most confusing.

Head coach Aaron Glenn made it clear during the offseason that third-year center Joe Tippmann would need to prove his worth as a viable starter along the offensive line. The Jets signed Josh Myers in free agency—a former Green Bay Packers starter—to kickstart that competition.

Were they right to do that, though?

One analyst has a key stat that shows New York’s camp battle at center is nothing short of perplexing.

The Jets’ odd training camp battle

As things stand, it is extremely unlikely that the Jets would bench a third-year player like Tippmann for a middling veteran in Myers.

Regardless of his college relationship with starting quarterback Justin Fields—the two were Ohio State teammates—Myers hasn’t been nearly the kind of starter Tippmann has been early in his career. Last season’s numbers only support that sentiment.

NFL.com’s Tom Blair called Tippmann one of the more underrated players on the New York Jets roster.

“In 2024, Tippmann had one of the stronger pass-blocking campaigns in recent team history, at least according to the NGS metric of QB pressure rate allowed,” Blair wrote. “Tippmann was credited with a mark of 4.8%, the second-lowest by any Jets offensive lineman to log 100-plus pass-blocking snaps in a season since 2016, bested only by Alijah Vera-Tucker‘s 4.2%, also last season.”

It’s safe to say that Tippmann is one of the best young centers in the game. Much like Nick Mangold when he first started, the Jets have a young player who only improves each season.

So, what is with this perceived camp battle?

Why Tippman, not others?

In reality, it’s easy to see how the Jets can use a position battle to light a fire under Tippmann. At one point during the last training camp, he dealt with several bad snaps in what became a week-long case of the shotgun-snapping yips.

The acquisition of Myers could be a way for the Jets to eliminate any yips from Tippmann in 2025.

Still, though, the Jets have plenty of young offensive linemen who have shown less than Tippmann at this point. Olu Fashanu is entering his first full season as the starting left tackle. Seventh overall pick Armand Membou is just learning the game right now.

Why aren’t they going through a rigorous position battle?

Of course, we know the reason. Both are first-round picks with tremendous upside. It would be insane for the Jets to even think about benching either player.

Then again, the same argument could be made for Tippmann.

He’s a second-round pick, so there’s a clear investment in the player. He is also entering an important third season and is eligible for an extension after the 2025 season. To push Myers into a starting role (who is only on a one-year deal this year) would be to push the center position into an area of need in 2026.

That’s just asking for trouble.

In the end, it’s fair to assume that Joe Tippmann’s job will eventually be safe during training camp. To say the least, the New York Jets’ handling of the situation has been mighty intriguing.