Jets G Alex Lewis retires from football (Report)

Alex Lewis will walk away from the game after the Jets placed him on the Reserve/Left Squad list earlier this month.

The time has come for Alex Lewis to conclude his football playing days.

Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the Jets interior offensive lineman will retire after the team placed him on the Reserve/Left Squad list last week. This placement would’ve prevented Lewis from playing in the NFL in 2021, period.

G Alex Lewis has decided to retire, per source. Was eliminated from playing for any team in 2021 last week when #Jets placed him on reserve/left squad list. In theory, could try comeback in ‘22, but it remains to be seen whether he has any desire to play again, source said.

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 18, 2021

Lewis was to compete for the starting right guard job as rookie Alijah Vera-Tucker (when he’s healthy) mans the left side. Lewis’ main competitors were to be Dan Feeney and Greg Van Roten, the latter of whom likely possesses the greatest chance at winning the job.

The Jets provided Lewis with a three-year contract extension ahead of the 2020 season and the 29-year-old played (and started) in just nine games last year. A placement on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list along with off-field issues led to Lewis’ final 2020 game being in Week 11 (Nov. 22).

New York is now pretty thin when it comes to the guard position following this decision from Lewis along with Vera-Tucker’s pectoral injury.

Van Roten, Feeney, Corey Levin, Tristen Hoge, and David Moore are the available guards at this moment in time. The Jets could potentially kick reserve center James Murray out to guard as well.

When teams continue to shrink their roster sizes as the preseason rolls on, the number of available interior offensive linemen will coincidingly increase. Thus, expect the Jets to possibly make a move for a reserve guard in the coming weeks.