NFL training camp starts toward the end of July, which means players around the league are getting their last bits of offseason work in before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.
For certain players, this season is what some may call “Make or Break,” meaning they need to put together a productive year or they could be looking for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
We’ll highlight some of those players for the Jets, concluding today with cornerback Michael Carter II.
2024 Stats
– 13 games, one game started
– 24 tackles, one tackle for loss
– One pass defensed, one fumble recovery
Why Make or Break?
When the Jets signed Carter to a three-year deal worth over $10 million per year ahead of last season, they felt they were locking up one of the league's best slot cornerbacks. At the time, this deal made Carter the highest-paid slot cornerback in the NFL.
However, he was reduced to a rotational role last year due to injuries. Carter started just one game and was on the field just 32 percent of the time. Even when he did play, his production was way down, as the injuries clearly limited him.
Carter is only 26 and arguably hasn’t even hit his prime yet. New York is paying him big money for those prime years, but he still has to prove he deserves it; otherwise, the Jets will be looking to renegotiate after this season. If he continues to be a durability concern, that could make it even less likely that Carter will see the end of his contract.
What will break it?
Head coach Robert Saleh warned members of the media that Carter was likely to be in and out of the lineup all year in 2024, and that proved to be the case as he rarely practiced at full capacity, missed four games and saw his workload reduced when he was in the lineup. After initially dealing with an ankle issue, Carter then suffered a reported herniated disc in his back. The latter could be the bigger, longer-term concern.
While his struggles last season could be attributed to his injury issues, Carter’s biggest weakness over his career as a whole has been that he hasn’t created enough turnovers. His last interception was 38 games ago, and he’s forced just one fumble in his career.
The Jets will set a high standard for Carter because when you’re being paid like one of the best in the league at your position, you really need to excel to prove your worth. He’ll need to do that in a secondary where there have been multiple personnel changes around him, so communication will be a key factor.
What will make it?
Carter’s excellent play in his first two seasons was what earned him that big-money deal in the first place and the Jets will be hopeful that a healthy Carter will return to that level. He broke up nine passes and intercepted two in 2023, forming one of the most highly regarded cornerback trios in the league with Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed.
It’s not just his play in coverage that made the Jets decide to extend Carter ahead of last season. His ability to step into the box and contribute against the run as an extra linebacker afforded the Jets excellent flexibility with nickel personnel on the field.
With Aaron Glenn having been a Pro Bowl cornerback himself, hopes are high that all of the Jets’ cornerbacks will specifically benefit from his knowledge. Glenn should be an important mentor to Carter, in particular, because they are basically the same size.
