Saleh Says Top Three Interior Offensive Linemen Won't Play Thursday

Starting guards and veteran center will watch the HOF Game from the sidelines

One could call it "unofficially official."

Nothing is written in pen at this point in the preseason, but it appears as if the New York Jets have settled on their three starting interior offensive linemen.

Having made mention on Sunday that most, if not all, first teamers would sit out Thursday's Hall of Fame Game, Jets' head coach Robert Saleh provided more specifics after practice on Tuesday.

While saying he did not anticipate playing left guard Laken Tomlinson, right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and center Connor McGovern in the preseason opener, Saleh hinted that the trio's status atop the depth chart is safe.

"For the most part, with the exception of Laken [Tomlinson] and AVT [Alijah Vera-Tucker] and [Connor] McGovern, a lot of guys are competing to be starters," said Saleh when asked about the offensive line that will be charged with protecting quarterback Zach Wilson in Thursday's exhibition contest.

It would have taken a major training camp upset to unseat one of the Jets' two projected starting guards.

Tomlinson, who started all 17 games last year, has been locked in at left guard since signing a free-agent deal with Gang Green in 2022. After adding the battle-tested veteran to their front five, the Jets flipped Vera-Tucker to the right side last preseason. 

The 31-year-old Tomlinson has not missed a single start in the last five seasons. Meanwhile, Saleh has said that Vera-Tucker has "All-Pro" potential as a guard.

RG Alijah Vera-Tucker / © Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

With Tomlinson and Vera-Tucker entrenched in starting roles, the same could not necessarily be said for McGovern and the starting center spot that he had held for the past three years. 

Re-signed to a one-year deal in April, McGovern was presumably in a battle with second-round rookie Joe Tippmann for the first-team status. Through 10 preseason practices, however, McGovern has seemingly taken almost every rep with quarterback Aaron Rodgers while Tippmann has been playing behind veteran Swiss Army knife Wes Schweitzer.

"I'm gonna treat it as it's my job and you gotta take it away from me. That's how it's been my last three years here," said McGovern, who was named a Training Camp Week 1 Winner by Jets Country, after the first padded preseason practice. 

Rather than fiercely challenging McGovern's standing on the depth chart, Tippmann has appeared in more of a developmental role thus far this summer.

"I'm kinda just working through some things," said Tippmann on Monday. "I'm in the best league in the world, so I got a lot of stuff to work through, a lot of adjustments."

The 30-year-old McGovern has logged more offensive snaps than any Jet over the past three years and he's in line to log plenty more, but just not on Thursday.

The Jets and Browns kick off the NFL Preseason at 8:00 pm ET on August 3 in Canton, OH. NBC will carry the game live with Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth on the call.

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