Jets' Alijah Vera-Tucker out for the season with torn Achilles

Alijah Vera-Tucker was subject to a recurring nightmare at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, and now, for the second year in a row, the lineman’s season has ended by October.

An MRI revealed that Vera-Tucker suffered an Achilles tear in the Jets’ 31-21 win over the Broncos, coach Robert Saleh said in a Zoom meeting with reporters Monday. The right tackle was injured less than a year after suffering a season-ending torn triceps in Week 7 at Denver.

“We’re all kind of surprised because he played a play on it,” Saleh said of Vera-Tucker, who originally was ruled out with a calf injury. “He walked off on his own power. He walked to the locker room on his own power, so we were pretty optimistic that that part of it was going to be OK.

“It’s a blow. I feel bad for him. He battled his way back this offseason from injury a year ago, and to have this happen again, it’s unfortunate.”

This is a significant hit to the Jets, who already were trying to overcome the loss of Aaron Rodgers to an Achilles tear and now must play on without their best offensive lineman.

Versatile and explosive, the 2021 first-round pick (14th overall) has played at guard and tackle. He recently settled at right tackle after an injury to left tackle Duane Brown necessitated some shuffling.

According to Pro Football Focus, Vera-Tucker went into Sunday with a run-blocking grade that was 12th in the league among offensive linemen.

“I wouldn’t say it has too much meaning,” Vera-Tucker said last week about the prospect of returning to Mile High. “I think last year was just a very unfortunate turn of events. I’m not really thinking about that at all. I’m just going to go out there and play my game and pray I come out healthy this time coming out of Denver. I’m just going to go in there and have fun like I was last time.”

Saleh didn’t know when Vera-Tucker would have surgery and wouldn’t reveal whom he plans to play in his stead against the undefeated Eagles on Sunday.

Brown, who is on injured reserve, won’t be eligible to return until at least Week 8 — Oct. 29 against the Giants — meaning that Mekhi Becton likely will stay put at left tackle (Becton moved from right to left after Brown hurt his hip). Max Mitchell finished the game for Vera-Tucker on Sunday. The Jets also could go with Billy Turner.

“I thought he did a really good job,” Saleh said of Mitchell. “I think a year ago, he surprised everybody when he got in there and played at a pretty good level. I thought he did a decent job yesterday. [There are] things that we can improve on obviously with regards to pass protection. [I] thought he was really good in the run game. You know, one thing Max is going to give you, he’s going to give you everything he’s got. He trains as well as anybody and he’s somebody that we have full faith in.”

Of Turner, he added: “He knows how to play the game, knows how to keep the quarterback upright and communicates at a high level and has played this game for a very long time.”

Rookie Carter Warren, who returned from IR and had his practice window open on Oct. 4, also is a far-off possibility, though Saleh noted he still has “a long ways to go” in terms of development.

“He missed all of OTAs and basically missed all of training camp,” Saleh said. “It’s going to be baptism by fire for him in terms of getting himself ready to play football games. And, you know, we’ll see how it goes for the rest of this week with regards to who’s going to be available to start, but Carter’s development is — not that he has to pick up the pace, but he’s got to continue to get better quickly.”

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.