Laurent Duvernay-Tardif hints at a NY Jets return in 2022
By Kristen Wong
![NY Jets, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif NY Jets, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4904,h_2758,x_0,y_225/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/30/01fvtp5p3amctf6bzmg1.jpg)
From Super Bowl contender to lovable loser? Kansas City Chiefs ex-offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif could stay with the NY Jets for the long haul.
Duvernay-Tardif has spent the majority of his NFL career as a Chiefs player but notably wasn't a part of the 2020 Super Bowl-winning squad. The guard opted out of the 2020 season, choosing instead to treat COVID-19 patients in his native Canada.
Duvernay-Tardif returned to the field in 2021 to play eight games with the Jets in the second half of the season, and he recently expressed his desire to stay in New York.
In an interview with FanSided's Mark Carman, the offensive lineman spoke a bit about how he ended up on the Jets.
"The New York Jets gave me the best opportunity to do so. I went down there and played the last eight games of the season, and now I’m a free agent. So we’ll see how things go, but I for sure set myself up to try to stay with the New York Jets."
- Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
The NY Jets await Laurent Duvernay-Tardif's decision in free agency
At the start of the 2021 season, Duvernay-Tardif was prepared to suit up for the Chiefs, but he broke his hand in training camp and fell out of the starting roster.
Still eager to play, he waived his no-trade clause, signed with the Jets, and potentially found a lasting new home.
Whereas Kansas City wanted to rejuvenate its offensive line and move on from older players, the Jets gave Duvernay-Tardif plenty of snaps alongside rookie Alijah Vera-Tucker, among others.
Though slightly past his prime, Duvernay-Tardif can bring much-needed expertise and leadership to a fledgling Jets team that looks to break its cursed playoff drought in 2022.
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Odds are that the offensive lineman will test the waters this offseason once he hits free agency, but he clearly cherishes his special bond with the Jets.