The Pittsburgh Steelers will be missing first-round rookie Derrick Harmon along their defensive line in the 2025 season opener. But the team’s Week 1 opponent, the New York Jets, likely won’t be a full strength to block Pittsburgh’s defensive front.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Wednesday morning former first-rounder and starting guard Alijah Vera-Tucker “has suffered a potentially serious injury.”
Russini didn’t specify whether Vera-Tucker will play on September 7. But she added the guard “could miss significant time.”
The Jets drafted Vera-Tucker at No. 14 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s been extremely versatile for the New York offensive line.
Over four NFL seasons, Vera-Tucker has started at every offensive line position except center. He’s mostly played guard and excelled when playing along the interior of the Jets line.
As a rookie in 2021, Vera-Tucker started 16 games at left guard. Last season, he started 15 contests at right guard.
According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, Vera-Tucker was New York’s best offensive lineman in 2024. The 26-year-old also finished last season with a PFF grade ranked in the top 10 among guards who played more than 50% of their team’s offensive snaps.
Jets’ Alijah Vera-Tucker Suffers Serious Arm Injury
Russini also didn’t specify what injury Vera-Tucker sustained. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter added more details with his report Wednesday.
“It is an arm injury,” Schefter tweeted. “He is getting a second opinion, and Vera-Tucker might now need surgery.”
The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, in collaboration with Russini, wrote in a story Wednesday that the guard’s season is “in jeopardy.”
Again, it’s not clear what Vera-Tucker’s immediate status is. But given that Russini and Schefter focused on the seriousness of the ailment, it’s a safe assumption Vera-Tucker is doubtful to play in Week 1.
Vera-Tucker sat out 22 games during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In 2022, the guard suffered a torn triceps in Week 7 and missed the rest of the season. During 2023, he sustained an Achilles injury in Week 5.
The Jets had to make a decision on Vera-Tucker’s fifth-year option after his back-to-back injury-plagued seasons. The team elected to pick up the option.
That proved to be the right choice last year. Vera-Tucker rebounded to be one of the top guards in the NFL during 2024.
The 26-year-old wanted to repeat that performance this fall to land an expensive second NFL contract. That might be doubtful to happen if the guard misses the 2025 campaign.
This season, he will receive a $15.3 million base salary. Vera-Tucker will be an unrestricted free agent in March.
The Jets named Vera-Tucker a team captain for the 2025 season. The team’s other two offensive captains are quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
How Jets Replace Vera-Tucker
The Vera-Tucker injury could give the Steelers an edge on the defensive front even without Harmon. Again, the guard is the team’s best offensive lineman, and the Jets have been game-planning all offseason for him to start at right guard.
If there’s any good news for the Jets, the team has decent offensive line depth. Heavy Sports’ Jordan Foote described it Wednesday.
“The Jets have options. One of them, perhaps the most logical, could be moving center Joe Tippmann over to guard,” Foote wrote. “Not only is he a capable piece there, but the franchise signed Josh Myers during the offseason as competition for him.
“He can fill in at center if New York slides Tippmann over one spot.”
It will help the Jets that Fields is a running quarterback. Steelers fans know, if he gets into trouble, he has the ability to escape without much blocking.
Vera-Tucker’s absence could hurt the Jets running game the most. Like Pittsburgh, the New York offense is expected to be a run-first attack this season.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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