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New England Patriots free agent signing Alijah Vera-Tucker seemingly took a shot at Jets fans on his way out the door.

For fans of the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, their rivalry is very real. That didn’t stop guard Alijah Vera-Tucker from jumping from the Jets to the Patriots in free agency this offseason, though.

In fact, it seems as though Vera-Tucker had some strong feelings about the move. Recently, while praising Patriots fans, he made some comments that could easily be taken as a shot at Jets fans.

“Just the energy man, you know, honestly, every time being with the Jets the past five years, whenever the Patriots either came to MetLife or we came out here, it was always great energy,” Vera-Tucker said. “Passion. You could really feel it. So, I’m definitely looking forward to that.”

Vera-Tucker is certainly looking to praise the fans of his new team. That’s no surprise. He also never came out and said that the Jets have bad fans, but it’s also not hard to see how he saw Patriots fans overpowering Jets fans in MetLife.

What New England Patriots Fans Should Know About Alijah Vera-Tucker

Early in free agency, Vera-Tucker signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the New England Patriots. The hope, immediately, is that he’s going to be able to boost the interior of their offensive line.

This comes after Vera-Tucker spent the first five seasons of his career with the Jets. He had previously been the No. 14 overall pick, coming out of USC. Immediately, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

For the majority of his career, Vera-Tucker has been a guard. However, he has also filled in at tackle at times when the Jets have battled injuries. So, he does have some experience there while offering versatility to the Patriots along the offensive line.

Unfortunately for Vera-Tucker, he’s also battled injuries of his own throughout his career. That includes torn triceps, an Achilles injury, and then another torn triceps in 2025. So, the hope is that he’ll find a way to stay healthy with the Patriots.

Alijah Vera-Tucker Previously Admitted He Wanted to Leave the Jets

Earlier in this offseason, Alijah Vera-Tucker made some headlines when discussing his move from the New York Jets to the New England Patriots. In particular, that he wanted to sign with a new team and get a fresh start.

“A fresh start was what I think I needed. When you have three accidents, it sucks …” Vera-Tucker said. “But I really enjoyed my time the past five years. Nothing but respect for everybody in that building, and the fans. I do hope they win a lot of games, just not against us.”

Given how his career has gone, it makes sense that Vera-Tucker wanted a fresh start. Injuries and playing for a team that is struggling on the field can take their toll. At the same time, it’s also understandable why Jets fans would be frustrated with those comments when paired with the fact that he went to the Patriots.

Adding to that, his comments about Patriots fans taking over MetLife, and it’s easy to see why the Jets fans might not be thrilled to see Vera-Tucker. Of course, as division rivals, that’s coming up twice this Fall.