Jets Lock in Ex-First Round Pick on $15.3 Million Extension

Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of a preseason game.

The New York Jets have made a final decision.

Ahead of the May 2 deadline, general manager Joe Douglas confirmed that they will pick up the fifth-year option on Alijah Vera-Tucker’s rookie contract.

“We are gonna pick that up. When we talked at the draft presser I hadn’t had a chance to talk to AVT yet. So I had the opportunity to have the conversation with him and let him know that we are going to be picking up that fifth-year option,” Douglas explained at his post-draft media availability.

According to Over The Cap’s fifth-year option projections, AVT’s contract will be $15.3 million fully guaranteed. This will now keep him under team control through the 2025 season.

Douglas Cleared up Some Uneasiness About AVT’s Future

JD’s hesitance to answer questions about Vera-Tucker’s future publically this offseason raised eyebrows. That sparked speculation that perhaps the Jets were considering declining that option.

Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News said on April 19 on social media that, “Douglas didn’t sound too convincing they would pick up Alijah Vera-Tucker’s fifth-year option.”

JD provided some clarity saying he wanted to tell AVT personally before revealing that decision.

Vera-Tucker, 24, is a foundational piece on the Jets’ offensive line. When healthy he has Pro Bowl and All-Pro potential according to people in the league. However, the injuries have derailed what could have been a special start to his career.

AVT has missed 23 games through the first three years of his career. The last two years both ended with serious season-ending injuries.

The Jets believe a contributing factor to those injuries is his constant movement on the Jets’ depth chart. AVT has played every position on the offensive line outside of center because of a variety of injuries in the trenches.

However, that is expected to change. The team has committed to AVT that they plan on keeping him at one position for this upcoming year and moving forward.

This is a developing story and we’ll provide new details as they become available.