NY Jets still 'very interested' in signing Pro Bowl center Ben Jones

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Ben Jones / Cooper Neill/GettyImages

The NY Jets have made a few minor additions to their offensive line in free agency, but through the first week of April, the team is still without a starting center. It seems as though they hope Ben Jones can fill that void.

Jones is likely the top available center on the open market following his surprising release from the Tennessee Titans earlier this offseason. The Jets are one of the teams monitoring his market.

Per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt, the Jets remain "very interested in signing" the 2022 Pro Bowl center. Rosenblatt insisted that the incumbent Connor McGovern, who remains a free agent, could be a contingency plan, or the Jets might just decide to address the position through the draft.

Regardless, the Jets have a very real interest in signing Jones. There has been no word of an official visit, and there have been rumblings that Jones could be contemplating retirement, but it's clear that the Jets are paying close attention to his market.

Ben Jones would be an excellent veteran pickup for the NY Jets

The Jets have been active in the center market this offseason, making runs at signing veterans Jake Brendel and Graham Glasgow. Instead, they've settled for versatile depth pieces in Wes Schweitzer and Trystan Colon. Neither projects as a starting-caliber player.

Jones wouldn't just provide the Jets with a new starting center — he could be a significant upgrade over the perpetually underrated McGovern.

The 11-year NFL veteran is coming off his first Pro Bowl nod, although he very likely deserved the recognition long before the 2022 season. Jones has been one of the better centers in football for over half a decade now.

He's allowed just two sacks on 1,557 pass-block snaps over the last two seasons, the sixth-best rate in the NFL over that time. He was the heart and soul of not only the Titans' offensive line but arguably the team's entire locker room.

Jones' connections to new Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter and passing game coordinator Todd Downing could give Gang Green a leg up on their competition when it comes to recruiting. There's a sense of familiarity already present.

The Jets seem to want Ben Jones. Next, it's up to Jones to determine what he wants.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.