When Michael Carter II was drafted by the Jets, he wasn't even the only Michael Carter on the team.
Those days are long behind him now. The other Michael Carter (a running back from North Carolina) was released in 2023, roughly 10 months before Carter II signed a lucrative deal with the Jets.
Since then, the going has been a bit bumpy for the nickel cornerback. He dealt with a couple of injuries in 2024, which limited him to 13 games and hindered his performance. But better days appear to be on the horizon.
"It was super tough, more mentally than physically," Carter said in June during Jets minicamp, via the New York Post. "Everything physically was going on, but mentally I was just trying to make sure I was kind of staying in it, staying enthused, not being down and trying to prepare the best I could so I could help my teammates and at least try to make an effort to make it through a game and be out there for those guys because I want it so bad. I knew what was at stake for everybody who was here last year.
"I definitely wanted to make sure I did everything I could to do what I could for them. It was one of those things that it didn't work out, but I'm in a lot better place now."
Now healthy, Carter is returning to the field rejuvenated because he feels more like himself and he likes what he's seeing from the new Jets regime led by former NFL defensive back and first-time head coach Aaron Glenn. After watching his former coach, Robert Saleh, get fired during the 2024 season, Carter is grateful to remain with a team that has seen turnover typical of a club that changes leadership. He's also glad Glenn isn't the only former NFL pro on staff; former cornerbacks Chris Harris and Dre Bly are coaching the defensive backs, too.
"It's really cool having all these guys who played in the league and can really say they understand what's going on and how things happen on the field," Carter said. "It definitely resonates. You can approach those guys as coaches in a different way because they really get it. They give good feedback. They've all played at a high level. I feel like that's just a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that we can take advantage of and it will only make us players."
Glenn's experience both as a player and as the former Lions' defensive coordinator shines through when he starts talking about the nuances of the game, exhibiting a deeper level of understanding that players undoubtedly appreciate. The coach is just as eager as Carter to see the defender return to form in 2025.
"The good thing about him, now he's healthy, and he has twitch, he's tough," Glenn said. "He understands the nickel position, and once you start to play that position, you have to start to understand exactly what's going on with the front, so you just can be a guy that's out on the edge and, listen, I got my guy. I mean, there is gap integrity that you have to understand.
"Your ability to cover has to be on point, so not only are you acting as a DB, but you also have to act as a linebacker, too, because there are certain situations where you could have turbo motion, they can get you bumping to the paint, and you have to operate as a linebacker. So, he does a really good job of that, and he's extremely smart also. So, to have a guy with the skill set that he has and that's extremely smart, like those are the type of guys you really want in that nickel spot, so he's doing a good job for us."
Glenn is the face of a new era in New York, where the Jets are exhibiting an organized, business-like approach with a level of maturity not seen in the Big Apple in quite some time. While they might fly under most radars, there's something different about this team as they creep toward their first season under Glenn's leadership.
Having been with the team for four years, Carter senses the difference. He'll have to hope his health holds up in 2025 in order to make good on his three-year, $30.75 million deal. As he said, he's in a better place now.
If everything goes according to plan, the Jets will be, too.
