Jets have an obvious reunion move after Azareye'h Thomas injury

The New York Jets suddenly find themselves a little thin at cornerback after the team placed rookie third-round pick Azareye'h Thomas on the injured reserve on Saturday.

Thomas suffered a shoulder injury in the team's Week 14 loss to the Miami Dolphins and, instead of using the final few games of the season to solidify his place in the team's cornerback plans for 2026, the Florida State product will now be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

His injury leaves the Jets' cornerback room rather thin, especially following the midseason departures of Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II and an injury to Jarvis Brownlee Jr.

What was arguably the deepest position on the roster entering the season has quickly become one of the team’s weakest. That sudden need could open the door for a player who fell victim to the numbers game just a few months ago. The Jets now have a golden opportunity to reunite with Jarrick Bernard-Converse.

Jets should reunite with Jarrick Bernard-Converse after the Azareye'h Thomas injury

A sixth-round pick of the Jets in the 2023 NFL Draft, Bernard-Converse appeared in 15 games for the Jets over his first two seasons in the league, although he never quite received an opportunity to carve out a role on defense.

This is despite the fact that Bernard-Converse was one of the team's most notable standouts from the preseason two years in a row. The former LSU standout was one of the Jets’ top preseason performers in 2024, earning an elite 92.4 Pro Football Focus grade, including a 92.3 mark in coverage.

He followed that up with another stellar summer showing in 2025. Bernard-Converse once again finished as one of the team's highest-graded players by PFF, posting an excellent 82.9 overall grade

The 25-year-old surrendered just two catches for 22 yards on seven targets, added a pass breakup and three run stops, and posted a team-best 40.2 passer rating when targeted. By the end of camp, Bernard-Converse had a strong case as the Jets’ top defensive performer for the second straight summer.

Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough to earn a spot on the Jets' 53-man roster, mostly due to the team's depth at the position. Bernard-Converse was waived as part of final roster cuts before being claimed by the Cleveland Browns.

The Louisiana native appeared in five games for the Browns before being waived again and claimed by the New York Giants, where he played four games before — once again — landing on waivers after being released this past Saturday.

The Jets now have a golden opportunity to right a wrong they made this past summer when they let Bernard-Converse go. The team is dangerously thin at outside cornerback, with Qwan'tez Stiggers penciled in as the starting cornerback opposite Brandon Stephens for the rest of the season.

The Jets also have undrafted rookie Jordan Clark starting at nickel corner and trade deadline pickup Ja'Sir Taylor, who was a healthy scratch a week ago, serving as their only true backup. Tre Brown and Nik Needham are veteran practice squad players also in the mix, but none offer the upside that Bernard-Converse does.

The plan was to use these final few weeks to evaluate Thomas ahead of an important 2026 offseason. Instead, they could be used to give an opportunity to a young cornerback who is long overdue for an extended look on defense.