Alijah Vera-Tucker gets brutally honest regarding Jets-Patriots rivalry

One of the bigger heartbreaks of the offseason was watching Alijah Vera-Tucker, a former New York Jets first-round pick, depart in free agency.

To add insult to injury, he left for the New England Patriots, a hated team for Jets fans and arguably their biggest source of agony over the last 25 years.

Vera-Tucker understands what his free agency flip means to die-hard fans of the Jets, but in the NFL, business is business, and he was ready for a change of scenery after five injury-riddled seasons in New York.

On the bright side, he did defend his old team when a New England reporter tried to bait him into an easy question about playing for the Jets.

Alijah Vera-Tucker understands the Jets-Patriots hatred

In his first media appearance as a member of the Patriots, Vera-Tucker spoke about being on the other side of the Jets-Patriots rivalry for the first time in his career, and acknowledged that there's a certain level of hatred when it comes to the two AFC East foes.

"I'll be real with, playing with the Jets for the past five years, we developed, you know, I'll be real with you guys, a certain type of hate for this team...Some of the fans are a little upset, which I get, you know, I'd be upset too. But I wish nothing for the best for that team, you know. I'll keep rooting for them and the guys over there as long as we don't play them."

Alijah Vera-Tucker

Despite the change in threads, it's nice to know there's no ill-will between the Jets and Vera-Tucker, and it wasn't like there was some sort of underlying reason outside of a fresh start that he left.

He even defended the Jets when a reporter tried to ask him if he felt like he had finally made it to the NFL now that he's with the Patriots and not playing in New York.

Vera-Tucker responded with an awkward laugh, saying, "I wouldn't say that," and that's something that will surely be appreciated by Jets fans.

At the end of the day, what's done is done, and the offensive lineman that Jets fans hoped would be a perennial Pro Bowler for them is now playing in New England.

Fans can at least take solace in the fact that Vera-Tucker still has respect for his former team, and except for the two games a year the Jets and Patriots face off, he'll be hoping for their success.