Joe Tipman found himself quite surprised at the start of the offseason, not anticipating an open competition for his position. Now, as he heads into Jets training camp, he’s in a battle with newly signed Josh Myers to claim the starting center role.
The 24-year-old from Wisconsin is, however, making the most of the situation. “Initially, it caught me off guard,” Tipman shared after the first day of training camp at Flowham Park. “But coach Aaron Glenn reached out first to explain the situation. After that, I felt really excited.”
Tipman, who started all 17 games for the Jets last season and took every offensive snap, now finds himself in this competition after the team signed Myers to a $3.5 million deal in March. Myers has been starting for the Packers for the last three years, which adds to the intensity of the competition.
Glenn hasn’t been clear on the specifics of the competition, but Tipman noted the ongoing fight for every position on the team. “I know I have to keep pushing every day to secure my place,” he said.
As a second-round draft pick in 2023, Tipman quickly looked up Myers on Instagram after the news of his signing. “I reached out to him,” he admitted, “just to start building a rapport.”
Standing at 6 feet 6 inches and weighing 313 pounds, Tipman earned a 73.4 grade from Pro Football Focus last year, placing him ninth among qualified NFL centers. In contrast, Myers ranked 46th with a score of 55.7.
Besides the competition, Tipman is also working on developing chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields. “I’ve never played with a quarterback quite like him,” Tipman commented. “Coming from Wisconsin, where you had a different style of quarterback, this is really exciting.” He described Fields as calm and steady, feeling that their initial interactions would lead to effective communication moving forward.
Myers, meanwhile, brings his own experience to the table. He played quarterback at Ohio State in 2019 and 2020 and was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2021 draft, getting to know the ins and outs of playing behind both Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love.
Tipman concluded, “Bringing in Josh means there’s competition every day, which just pushes me to improve. It’s like pressure turning into diamonds.”
