The news was unofficial on Wednesday and it was made official today. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif joins the New York Jets.
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The physical examination the guard went through with the Jets was to their complete satisfaction. The team has agreed with Duvernay-Tardif for a contract for the rest of the season.
As announced Wednesday, he will first join the Jets’ practice squad. It’s normal procedure for the vast majority of veterans who sign an agreement during the season to join a team.
We shouldn’t be surprised to see the Montrealer move into the regular roster in the short term.
There have been several injuries this season on the Jets offensive line, including guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. For now, Nate Herbig is the starter on the right. An undrafted player, he was first signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, before being released last May. The Jets claimed him on waivers.
- Listen to the interview with Sasha Ghavami, players’ agent and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s agent on QUB radio:
Last season, Duvernay-Tardif was traded en route from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Jets. He finished the season in New York appearing in eight games, including seven as a starter.
If the team was in full reconstruction last fall, it finds itself this season at the height of the race, with a record of 6-3. A playoff berth is a real possibility.
Last June, when Duvernay-Tardif announced his intentions to prioritize medicine over his NFL career, he made it clear that he was not closing the door on a return. Now that a mandatory portion of his medical residency in a Montreal hospital is complete, he is ready to seize a new opportunity.
He had also let it be known that he wanted to join a team that had a chance of winning and with the Jets, the portrait has changed drastically in a year.
On Wednesday, at a press briefing, head coach Robert Saleh had been complimentary of him, mentioning that “LDT” had been “quite an asset for the team”.
