If you’re job on the New York Jets is to snap the ball to Aaron Rodgers and then protect the franchise quarterback, then you’re a very important player on the team. So, the three-way competition at center between incumbent Connor McGovern, rookie Joe Tippmann and veteran newcomer Wes Schweitzer will be hotly contested during training camp.

And coach Robert Saleh said each lineman will get an “equal opportunity to go get that job.”

“There’s a lot of time left, four [preseason] games, so there’s going to be a lot to be decided over the next month,” Saleh said Tuesday.

McGovern played every offensive snap for New York last season and was its starter the past three. He re-signed as a free agent this offseason. Saleh said McGovern is likely the most “comfortable” of the three competitors, though that doesn’t mean he’ll be the starting center in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.

“He’s started a lot of games, he’s done a lot of great things for us,” the coach explained. “He’s obviously a capable starting center in this league. He’s proved it over and over again.”

Tippmann was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and is projected to be the Jets center of the future. He’s massive (6-foot-6, 317 pounds), athletic and smart. Tippmann signed his rookie contract right before camp and now must prove he's ready to start right away.

“’Tipp’s catching up,” Saleh said. “Obviously, he’s got a lot of stuff to absorb. These offensive playbooks in this league are thick.”

Schweitzer is a six-year NFL veteran, though he’s played primarily guard. Last season, he stepped in at center for the Washington Commanders, though he struggled in pass protection.