The 2023 Pro Football Writers of America have named Jets center Joe Tippmann to its All-Rookie team. Tippmann, selected in the second round (No. 43) of last April's NFL Draft, started 14 games and allowed just 3 sacks according to Pro Football Focus.
"Tipp's been awesome," HC Robert Saleh said. "He's improved every day. Obviously, he's got great versatility. He can play guard center. But his strain, his grit, his want to, his football IQ, his ability to get better every day the way he has. I'm excited about his future. I've said it before, he's going to be a good one for a long time."
Tippmann, a Wisconsin product, got his first career start in Week 3 against the Patriots, at guard, after an injury to veteran Duane Brown forced the Green & White to shuffle their offensive front. He started three more games at guard before sustaining a quad injury in Week 6 against the Eagles. He returned to the lineup in Week 9 at center, where he started the final 10 weeks of the season.
He earned a 61.0 PFF grade, the best among rookie centers, and allowed 2 QB hits, 15 hurries and 20 pressures in total. In addition, he snapped tothreedifferent QBs – Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian – and playedin 11 different starting O-line groups.
"There are areas where I can see in the film that if I were stronger, I could have had it," he said. "But then there's plenty of areas where I can grow that don't have to do with strength and has to do with putting myself in the best position to make the block and put the whole line into the best position to get it done."
Tippmann joins CB Sauce Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson – winners of the respective PFWA Defensive and Offensive Rookie of Year awards last season – and G Alijah Vera-Tucker as the only Jets to make a PFWA All-Rookie team in the last five years.
