George Fant received good news and bad news on July 2.
The good news: Training partner and friend Morgan Moses was now his teammate. The bad news: Moses was brought in to battle Fant to be the starting right tackle.
“It’s cool,” Fant insisted on Monday after practice. “I met ‘Mo’ a while back, training together in Miami. Even then, I was a younger guy than him — he had been in the league for a couple of years — so I leaned on him when we were training.
“I learned a lot from him, he learned a lot from me. We continue to do that. It’s cool to have that relationship we have.”
After the Jets signed Fant, 29, to a three-year, $30 million deal prior to last season, he started 14 games at right tackle to middling results. He struggled at times, netting a 61.6 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 64th out of 79 offensive tackles. Moses notched a 79.9 PFF grade, the sixth-best among right tackles. After The Washington Football Team released him, the Jets picked up the durable 30-year-old, inking him to a one-year, $3.6 million deal.
“He’s a great veteran to add to our room. Happy to have him here,” Fant said. “That’s what this game’s all about. You’re competing all the time. I’ve been in this league for six years, ex-basketball player, undrafted. I’ve competed my whole career. This is just another step in my growth as a player.”
Moses has a significant head start on winning the job. Fant, despite being vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the first eight practices of training camp. With a gym in his home, Fant was able to stay in shape. He returned on Saturday and took part in the Green and White scrimmage at MetLife Stadium. The coaches had to basically drag him off the field.
“You got to push yourself through certain situations so you can be prepared for the right situation,” he said. “You got to be a pro. I’ve played for a while. I consider myself a veteran as far as being able to prepare. I know my stuff. When I got here, I was trying not to miss a beat.”