The New York Jets traded cornerback Michael Carter II to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie III. The teams also swapped late-round 2026 NFL draft picks, with the Jets turning a seventh-rounder into a sixth-rounder.
Carter became expendable in recent weeks due to the emergence of Jarvis Brownlee.
Advertisement
Darren Mougey will be thrilled to shed Carter’s salary. Previous Jets GM Joe Douglas signed Carter to a three-year extension worth $30.75 million last offseason.
Despite the price tag, the nickel cornerback had been losing playing time to Brownlee in recent weeks.
Carter began the 2025 campaign as the Jets’ nickel corner. The former Duke standout earned 95 snaps in that role throughout the opening three contests, with a single-game-high 41 snaps in Week 3. But everything changed once Brownlee arrived.
Brownlee took over the nickel corner role in Week 6. In the Jets’ previous three games, he’s averaged 36.3 snaps in that alignment. Brownlee was especially crucial to the defensive game-plan in Sunday’s Week 8 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile Carter was limited to six defensive snaps versus the Bengals.
The Jets see Brownlee as their nickel cornerback of the future. The scrappy corner is signed for two additional campaigns through 2027 on an affordable rookie contract.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Carter was heading towards being a potential cap casualty this coming offseason. Wednesday’s deal with the Eagles represented a shrewd piece of business for the Jets.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jarvis Brownlee’s emergence made Jets CB Michael Carter II expendable