The New York Jets made a recent roster change when they released running back Michael Carter this past Wednesday.
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New York Post reporter Andrew Crane shared this succinct quote from Jets head coach Robert Saleh regarding the decision to let Carter go at this juncture of the season:
“We felt like it wouldn’t be fair for [Carter] to just sit there and rot on the bench,” Saleh said.
Carter had fallen behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook in the depth chart and was barely seeing time on the field before his departure. Hall has had moments of brilliance in the early portions of the season and has established himself as the premiere running back on the team.
Cook voiced frustrations about his diminished snap count and has sought after an expanded role in the backfield for weeks on end. Not far removed from a string of 1,000-yard seasons, Cook presents a second hungry mouth to feed behind quarterback Zach Wilson.
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Carter Set to Join Another Crowded Backfield in Arizona
Carter was an active part of the Jets’ rotation in his rookie and sophomore seasons. He started 21 of 30 games and ran for 1,041 yards and seven rushing touchdowns between 2021 and 2022. This year, he’s only carried the ball eight times for 38 yards.
Carter, as a result, was released and the Arizona Cardinals took advantage of the roster transaction by bringing him on to their practice squad. He’ll now have the chance to prove himself in hopes of entering the 53-man lineup and competing with Emari Demercado and Keaontay Ingram for touches behind starter James Conner, who was recently activated from IR.
