Jets surprisingly release talented RB in stunning move

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). However, the Jets have opted against using him, as he's racked up only 38 yards on the ground this season.

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 Abanikanda 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.