Jets Should Consider Bringing Back AVT for at Least One Season
Alijah Vera-Tucker has been an oft-injured player for the New York Jets since they drafted him, and he was on his fifth-year option in 2025 when he was injured again and ended up missing the entire season. Even with his injury history, he should be brought back in 2026.
The options are thin in free agency for his replacement, and, as of now, the Jets will likely be drafting a QB and WR in Rounds 1 and 2. If they do draft a guard at #103, which is their current position, he will likely be a developmental player at best, and he could end up being a career backup.
The Jets absolutely should bring back Josh Meyers for the 2026 season — and probably beyond that, especially if he plays like he has this year next year. That would leave the only hole at left guard.
When healthy, AVT is one of the best guards in the league, but the problem is the operative part of the prior statement, when healthy.
So, how should the Jets manage an AVT return?
I would do a “three-year”, $24 million contract, with a max value of $42 million.
Here are the exact terms of the deal:
2026: Fully guaranteed P5 Salary
2027-28: P5 Salary fully guaranteed if at least 90% of the snaps are played the year before; Contract voids if fewer than 65% of the snaps are played the year before (trigger date: day after the Super Bowl)
Incentive Schedule:
65% snaps: $1.5 million
77.5% snaps: $3 million (non-cumulative)
90% snaps: $4.5 million (non-cumulative)
(Note: Based on current projections, his career snap count rate is 47.78%.)
If the snap rate falls anywhere from 65% to just under 90%, the contract would not be guaranteed, and the Jets would have to decide whether to release or trade him.
Any incentive or per-game roster bonus earned would count against the following season’s cap. For instance, if AVT were to play in 16 games and 85% of the snaps in 2026, his cap number for 2027 would be $13,568,765 instead of the $9.157 million that’s shown, because that currently counts the per-game roster bonus and incentives as not likely to be earned.
The dead cap charges for an injury void or non-guarantee release would be as follows:
2027: $4,628,000
2028: $3,471,000
If he were to earn the full contract, it would rank him 18th among guards in the NFL at signing. Even though he probably deserves to be higher than that, based on talent alone, his injury history bumps him down a few pegs.
The Jets are in a bind with their offensive line in 2026, but their best option might be to bring AVT back for another run, where he can hopefully overcome the injury bug.