The New York Jets had a big scare during training camp practice on Wednesday, July 31.
Connor Hughes of SNY shared on social media that cornerback Michael Carter II got hurt during a red zone drill. “Limping very badly. They’re taking him back inside,” Hughes added.
After practice, head coach Robert Saleh was asked to provide an update on Carter’s status. Saleh revealed that it is an “ankle” issue.
“It shouldn’t be a long-term deal but I’ll have a better answer for you guys the next time I see you,” Saleh said to the media.
Carter Is One of the Most Important Pieces on the Jets Roster
The green and white can’t afford a serious injury to Carter.
At the end of last season, Jets analyst Will Parkinson said on social media that you could make a “strong argument” that Carter is the “best nickel cornerback” in the NFL.
Carter, 25, is entering the final year of his $3.8 million rookie contract in 2024. The former Duke product originally entered the league as the No. 154 overall pick in the fifth round.
He quickly ascended from a mid-round draft choice to a bonafide starter. Carter has appeared in 47 games and has made 20 starts.
Over the last three years, he has registered two picks, 23 pass deflections, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and he has totaled 185 total tackles.
Despite some of his impressive stats and analytics, he hasn’t earned the same street cred that his teammates in the secondary, Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed, have.
“He is kind of like a silent assassin. He doesn’t get the fanfare that Sauce or DJ gets. [Carter] isn’t as demonstrative in terms of just his brand if you will. He is one of our greater communicators, he’s trustworthy, he’s on his job, his technique is perfect, he wins his one-on-one battles, [and] he’s a big part of this defense,” Saleh explained to the media.
Robert Saleh calls Michael Carter a “silent assassin”
“He’s one of our greater communicators. He’s trustworthy. He’s on his job. His technique is perfect. He wins his one-on-one battles. He’s a big part of this defense.”
Former Duke Product Trying to Become a More Vocal Leader
Carter isn’t a big talker. He prefers to let his play on the field do the talking for him.
However, this offseason he has tried to step up in a leadership role.
“Really a lot of just being more vocal. [Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich] was just telling me yesterday how respected I am in the building and I gotta start really using that voice to be a more vocal leader. So I’m just trying to work on that. I can always grow with my communication on the field,” Carter explained to the media.
If Carter has another good season he is going to get paid. It isn’t a matter of if but rather when and by who.
The Jets are dealing with a first-world problem that they haven’t dealt with in a long time. New York has developed talent and now we’re reaching the paying them portion of the exam.
Although you can’t pay everybody, so the Jets are going to have to start making some business decisions on who they want to keep and who they want to let go.
