Brandon Stephens’ shocking turnaround is making the Jets look like geniuses

The New York Jets took a major gamble when they signed Brandon Stephens to a three-year, $36 million contract this offseason. Stephens had been the most targeted cornerback in the entire NFL over the last two seasons, and the signing was heavily criticized at the time as a result.

The ex-Ravens defensive back didn't get off to a very encouraging start with the Jets flashing the same shortcomings that held him back in Baltimore over his first few weeks with his new team.

But Stephens has rebounded impressively from his rough start, quickly reshaping the narrative around his signing. In fact, over the last five weeks, he’s been playing like one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL.

Not only has Stephens remained one of the Jets’ most reliable tacklers on defense, but his coverage performance has improved dramatically. At this point, he’s not just living up to his contract — he’s legitimately starting to outperform it.

Brandon Stephens is quickly changing the narrative around his Jets career

Stephens is remarkably Pro Football Focus' highest-graded cornerback in the NFL since Week 4 (min. 150 defensive snaps). His 82.2 overall PFF grade ranks first among 72 qualifiers over the last five weeks, while his 82.9 PFF coverage grade ranks second.

He hasn’t allowed more than three catches in a game since Week 1 and has given up over 30 yards just once since Week 2. On top of that, he hasn’t been flagged for a single penalty since his Jets debut in the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Stephens has also continued to excel in run defense. The 27-year-old is tied for fourth among all cornerbacks (with fellow Jets cornerback Jarvis Brownlee, actually) with 16 run stops and has posted a stellar 76.1 PFF run defense grade this season.

Stephens has missed only three of his 38 tackle attempts in 2025, a strong 7.3% missed-tackle rate. He’s added a level of physicality to the Jets’ defense that the secondary often lacked at times last season.

Stephens has shown flashes of above-average play throughout his career, but this is likely his most encouraging stretch yet. The Jets took a chance on him, believing their coaching staff could iron out his flaws, and he’s rewarded them with some of the best performances of his NFL career.

The key for Stephens will be maintaining consistency and continuing to stack strong performances. If he can do that, the Jets’ most criticized offseason move could end up being one of the best of the Darren Mougey era.

For now, it looks like the Jets’ gamble on Stephens is paying off in a big way.