Jets surprisingly decide to release talented RB

Jul 27, 2021; Florham Park, NJ, United States; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh talks with the media on training camp report day at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Less than 48 hours after suiting up against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night, a notable New York Jets player is now off the team.

The Jets announced Tuesday that they have decided to release running back Michael Carter. The move ends Carter’s tenure in East Rutherford after two-and-a-half seasons and sends the 24-year-old to waivers.

Carter, the Jets’ fourth-round pick in 2021 (No. 107 overall), once looked like a core player for the team. He was a standout as a rookie, posting nearly 1,000 yards from scrimmage and finding the end zone four times. But Carter took a backseat once Breece Hall entered the picture in 2022, only getting consistent playing time again when Hall went down with a season-ending knee injury that year.

With a fully-healthy Hall as the starter this year and four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook as the backup, Carter faced further competition on the depth chart. Surprisingly however, Carter carved out a decent role as a third-down back and was easily outperforming at least Cook (with 4.8 yards per carry to Cook’s 3.1).

That makes Carter’s release pretty surprising, especially since he was, by all indications, a very well-liked teammate. With the Jets now cutting Carter loose, Cook will see increased snaps and fifth-round rookie running back Israel Abankikanda should enter the fold too. But none of that will likely make much of a difference for a Jets offense that has some deep-rooted issues right now.