NFL training camp starts at the end of July, which means players around the league are getting their last bits of offseason work in before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.
For certain players, this season is what some may call “Make or Break,” meaning they need to put together a productive year or they could be looking for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
We’ll highlight those players for the Jets, continuing today with running back Michael Carter.
- 16 games (10 starts)
- 114 carries, 402 yards, three touchdowns (3.5 yards per carry)
- 41 receptions for 288 yards
Carter was drafted in the fourth round by the Jets in 2021 and established himself as a fan favorite in his rookie season. He led the Jets with 639 rushing yards, was tied for the team lead with four rushing touchdowns and was fourth on the team with 36 receptions. He played a starring role in two of the team’s four wins as he rushed for 118 yards against Jacksonville and racked up 172 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown against the Bengals.
In 2022, Carter’s fortunes changed. He started off the year splitting snaps with Breece Hall, but his playing time dwindled as Hall started to break out. When Hall suffered a season-ending injury in week seven, the Jets were expected to turn back to Carter, but they ended up giving opportunities to other players like James Robinson, Ty Johnson and Zonovan Knight ahead of him.
No doubt frustrated with his role and lack of playing time, Carter really struggled down the stretch, gaining just 72 yards on 29 carries over the team's last eight games. However, the change in offensive coordinator and Aaron Rodgers arriving to play quarterback could give Carter exactly the kind of fresh start he needs. He remains one of the most popular players on the team among his teammates.
It was surprising to see Carter being so ineffective in 2022, especially as Hall had so much success in the same offense. Carter was one of the league leaders in broken tackle rate as a rookie but his numbers for forced missed tackles and yards after contact dropped off dramatically in 2022 so he needs to find a way to break out of that slump.
Injures have been one of the things that has slowed him down. Despite only missing one game, Carter was dealing with a high ankle strain down the stretch, having also been troubled by an ankle issue at the end of his rookie year. He needs to prove he can be durable if he wants his workload to increase.
Another factor was his apparent frustration with the offensive system and his lack of touches. Now that Nathaniel Hackett has taken over from Mike LaFleur as offensive coordinator, Carter will hope to get a clean slate but must show more patience if he has to wait for opportunities.
One of the things Carter needed to improve in 2022 was his pass protection. However, he arguably regressed in that area. If he can’t prove himself to be a reliable pass protector, especially now that Rodgers is the player he’ll be tasked with protecting, then that will be another thing that keeps him off the field. Hopefully Rodgers’ experience will benefit Carter here because he’ll set the protection correctly and anticipate pressure better than Zach Wilson did last year.
Carter has talent, so if he can be healthy to start the year, he could produce well in an offense against which defenses will no longer be able to stack the box. If Hall is slow to hit full speed, then Carter will need to make the most of any playing time he gets in order to show that he can complement a healthy Hall rather than just being his backup.
Indications are that Rodgers has been impressed with Carter as he’s been getting plenty of work during the offseason with Hall still rehabbing his surgically repaired knee. If he can continue to earn Rodgers’ trust, that will go a long way towards ensuring he gets plenty of opportunities once the season gets underway.
When he did get touches last year, Carter had some good games with 100 yards from scrimmage on 17 touches against the Ravens, 74 on 15 touches against Denver and 86 on 13 touches against Buffalo. He’ll hope to have more games like this in 2023.
