NY Jets news: Michael Carter II injury, Will McDonald is stronger, Madden ratings

The NY Jets have been relatively fortunate on the injury front so far through training camp, but the team experienced one of its first major scares during Wednesday's practice when starting nickel cornerback Michael Carter II limped off the field.

Carter exited practice early and did not return to the field for the rest of the day, leading to some concern from Jets fans. Fortunately, it seems as though Carter avoided any major injury.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke to reporters after practice and indicated that Carter had suffered an ankle injury that the team did not believe was serious. Saleh told reporters that Carter's injury "shouldn't be a long-term deal."

The Jets' coach declined to put any timetable on Carter's return, but it does appear as though the injury is not expected to keep him sidelined for an extended period of time. Carter may miss a few practices, but the Jets aren't concerned about the injury at this time.

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Will McDonald is 'much stronger'

Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke to reporters about the progress he's seen from 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald following Wednesday's practice. In particular, Saleh spoke about how he believes McDonald is "much stronger" than he was a year ago.

McDonald agreed with that assertion when he spoke to reporters shortly after, insisting that he feels like he's gotten stronger "in every aspect" of his game. The Jets hope that extra strength can help McDonald become a more well-rounded player.

Despite Saleh's praise, there has been some concern about McDonald's slow start to training camp, with SNY's Connor Hughes reporting this week that he's already falling behind other guys on the depth chart.

The Jets want McDonald to become a more complete edge rusher and adding strength is one way to do that. The team needs to see some signs of growth from their former first-round pick this summer.

Jets disrespected by Madden again

EA Sports has begun the process of releasing their player ratings for the upcoming Madden 25 video game this week, and in what has seemingly become an annual tradition, a number of Jets players were disrespected once again.

Star running back Breece Hall received a lowly 84 overall rating, ranking him as the 16th-best running back in the NFL behind the likes of Joe Mixon (91), Travis Etienne (90), Josh Jacobs (89), Kenneth Walker (88), Tony Pollard (86), Alvin Kamara (85), D'Andre Swift (85), and many others.

This is, of course, despite the fact that Hall finished with the fourth-most scrimmage yards among all players in the NFL in 2023 despite playing in the 31st-ranked offense. The only three players with more yards, Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, and CeeDee Lamb, all played in top-five offenses.

Meanwhile, Garrett Wilson received an 85 overall rating which ranked him as the 27th-best wide receiver in the NFL. That rating is somehow two overall points lower than his own teammate, Mike Williams.

Madden ratings are infamously a disaster, but it really feels like this year might be the worst we've seen to this point. Here's to hoping this disrespect helps fuel the Jets' two young stars in 2024.