Michael Carter II pulled wild move to escape Jets and land with Eagles

The New York Jets made a move ahead of the trade deadline, sending former starting nickel cornerback Michael Carter II and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie III and a 2027 sixth-round pick.

Carter now goes to a Super Bowl-contending team, and clearly, he was desperate to get out of Florham Park and play for a contender.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Carter was so desperate to get away from the Jets and play for the Eagles that he reportedly "agreed to delete the $5M guaranteed for injury in his 2026 contract year to complete the trade to the Eagles."

Carter sure seemed to be hellbent on getting out of New York and joining the defending Super Bowl champions. It's not surprising that he wanted a change of scenery, considering that he had been benched by the coaching staff in favor of Jarvis Brownlee Jr.

To say that Carter had been disappointing this year would be an understatement. Before the trade, he was ranked 111th out of all eligible cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus. To put that into further perspective, there are 113 eligible cornerbacks, so yeah, Carter had not been good in 2025.

Jets castoff Michael Carter took wild route to land with Eagles

Carter's benching wasn't the only reason why the former Duke standout wanted a fresh start in Philadelphia. Another possible reason is that Joe Douglas, who was the Jets GM when the team drafted Carter in 2021, is a member of the Eagles front office.

A reunion there makes perfect sense. Oh, it also doesn't hurt that the Eagles are one of the best teams in the NFL while the Jets are one of the worst. It'll be a completely different situation for Carter when he arrives in Philly with his new team.

It's disappointing how this whole thing panned out, considering that Carter was likely the best nickel corner in the NFL in 2023 (80.4 overall grade and the 12th best corner per PFF that year).

Unfortunately, injuries piled up, and Carter wasn't playing well anymore. Throw in that he was so desperate to get out that he waived the guaranteed money in case of an injury for next year, and that's clearly a sign of someone frustrated and wanting out of his current situation.

In return, the Jets get John Metchie and a draft pick. The Jets get a young receiver with upside, while the Eagles get a formerly excellent slot corner who was clearly determined to get to Philadelphia.