Jets veteran already looks finished one month into 2025 season

It wasn't all too long ago that Michael Carter II was one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL. Carter made up one-third of the Jets' dominant cornerback trio and looked well on his way to establishing himself as a mainstay in the team's defense for the foreseeable future.

Few Jets fans had any qualms when the team handed him a three-year, $30.75 million extension that made him the highest-paid slot corner in football just prior to the start of the 2024 season.

Unfortunately, Carter's career has taken a nosedive almost since the day he signed that contract. The Duke product struggled through an injury-riddled 2024 campaign, only to return a year later as the biggest liability in a depleted Jets secondary.

With injuries piling up again and another year of poor on-field performances, the writing already seems to be on the wall for Carter. The Jets will almost certainly be moving on after this season.

Michael Carter II's days with the Jets appear to be numbered

Carter led all nickel cornerbacks in the NFL in 2023 with a stellar 83.3 Pro Football Focus coverage grade. He also ranked first in fewest yards allowed in slot coverage (195), fewest receptions allowed in slot coverage (25), and fewest yards allowed per slot coverage snap (0.54).

Carter was likely the best nickel corner in football in 2022 and 2023. That's what makes his sudden and complete downfall all the more upsetting.

The former fifth-round pick posted a lowly 50.7 PFF grade, including an abysmal 47.9 coverage grade, in 2024. Jets fans were quick to write off Carter's struggles as a product of a season-long lingering back injury, but expectations were understandably high for a bounce-back year in 2025.

Instead, Carter has somehow been even worse. The once-standout nickel cornerback has been arguably the biggest weakness in the Jets' defense, posting a brutal 35.9 PFF coverage grade that ranks dead last among all 118 qualified cornerbacks.

The only cornerback with a worse grade was veteran Xavien Howard, who literally retired last week due in large part to his struggles. That's the company Carter has kept this season.

It's become painfully obvious that not only is Carter a very poor fit in Steve Wilks' aggressive man-heavy defense, but that his body also appears to be failing him. Carter has dealt with a shoulder injury this season and is currently sidelined with a concussion.

This Jets defensive scheme needs its nickel cornerback to be a physical and willing tackler. At just 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, Carter's body just hasn't been able to hold up in this defense. He's only just 26 years old, but there are genuine concerns about his health moving forward at this point.

The Jets can release Carter after this season and save over $7 million in cap space with a dead cap charge of less than $5 million. It's hard to envision a scenario where the Jets opt to keep Carter around for another year, especially at his $12 million cap hit in 2026.

It also doesn't help his case that the Jets just acquired cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. in a trade last month and have used rookie fourth-round pick Malachi Moore in the slot with Carter sidelined. The Jets have internal options they could utilize to replace their struggling nickel corner.

Michael Carter II was a fun and promising developmental story for a Jets team that had its share of draft misses over the years. Unfortunately, his fate already seems sealed just one month into the 2025 season.

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