For the first time in his NFL career, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is no longer associated with a particular club.
The six-foot-five, 321-pound offensive lineman became a free agent on Wednesday.
Since the native of Mont-Saint-Hilaire broke through with the Chiefs in 2014, he had never found himself without an NFL contract in his pocket.
“It’s more a question of exploring options, of seeing what the next step is,” said his agent Sasha Ghavami. We are not closing the door to anything. »
That includes a return to the Jets, with whom Duvernay-Tardif finished last season.
Right guard, the 31-year-old started seven of eight games with New York (4-13), which finished last in the AFC East.
Earlier this week, the Jets reportedly reached a three-year, $40 million deal with former Niners guard Laken Tomlinson.
After the 2020 season, where he did not play, Duvernay-Tardif returned to Kansas City last season, hoping to return to his position.
However, he broke his hand in training and missed a month.
Recovered, he has been an inactive player, with rookie Trey Smith becoming the Chiefs’ starting right guard.
In November, Duvernay-Tardif waived his no-trade clause, allowing Kansas City to trade him to the Jets.
Ghavami said the McGill graduate can continue his career without hurting his medical studies.
Duvernay-Tardif has started 57 of 60 games with Kansas City. He got his first NFL start in 2015 and helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl on Feb. 2, 2020, against San Francisco.
Duvernay-Tardif became the first NFL player to retire from the 2020 season. He fought the pandemic by working in a long-term care center in Quebec.
