The New York Jets and cornerback Michael Carter II agreed on a three-year contract extension on Tuesday night, according to a source close to the deal.
Carter is considered one of the best nickel backs in the NFL, and he joins Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed to form a strong trio of cornerbacks for the Jets.
The source spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity since the Jets had not yet announced the deal. NFL Network first reported the extension, which is worth $30.75 million and could reach up to $33 million with over $19 million in guarantees, making Carter the highest-paid slot cornerback in the league.
The 25-year-old Carter was a fifth-round pick from Duke in 2021. He quickly became a key player as a nickel back and an important asset for coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
“He’s kind of a quiet assassin,” Saleh said during training camp. “He’s so reliable. He’s out there, he doesn’t get as much fanfare, but he’s as reliable as any nickel there is in football. Teammates love him, works his tail off, and he’s another guy that we can do a lot with.
And because of that, it adds a little bit of a dimension to our defense that many others can’t have.”
Carter recently came back from an ankle injury that kept him out for a few weeks this summer but is expected to be fully healthy for the Jets’ season opener against San Francisco next Monday night.
The coaching staff has asked Carter to be a more vocal leader this year for the team.
“He’s one of the most highly regarded, loved, respected players on our defense, on our team for that matter, just because of the way he carries himself,” Ulbrich said recently.
“He’s never going to be the big rah-rah guy in front of the group, and he doesn’t need to be. He’s a guy that’s behind the scenes getting guys better.”
