Way to go, Philadelphia Eagles, on executing a first-of-its-kind-financially irresponsible tactic! First, they acquired New York Jets cornerback Michael Carter II via trade earlier this week. The July deal moved Carter and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick to Philadelphia. In exchange, the Jets received wide receiver John Metchie III and a future sixth-round pick.
Carter has quickly established himself as one of the brightest young stars in the league. Throughout his career with the Jets, he lured people in by piling up head-turning numbers over those 65 games played. He had 10 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions and defended 26 passes. The last two seasons have been marred by injury, limiting what many expected from Hockenson. Yet, despite all these hurdles to his success, he is still currently under contract with the Eagles through 2027 at $20.3M.
In 2024, Carter signed a three-year contract extension at $30.75 million, but only $2.7 million of that contract is guaranteed. This season, his guaranteed salary is just $1.3 million. He has a 2026 partial guarantee of $1.4 million. Another $4 million will become fully guaranteed if Carter is still on the roster next March. In order to make this trade possible, he took a $5 million injury guarantee for 2026 off the table.
Similarly, the Eagles are relying on Carter’s talent to shore up their defensive front. Coach Vic Fangio emphasized the importance of maintaining top talent at key positions, stating:
“We considered it, but when you have one of the better players at a certain position — and it’s an important position where you get involved more — you hate to take a really good player at one position to maybe not be as good of a player or impactful of a player at another position.” – Vic Fangio
Carter’s arrival comes at the same time the Jets have replaced him on their roster with Jarvis Brownlee Jr. In different ways, the move is an indication of each team’s efforts to improve their lineup going into the offseason while still competing this season.
Metchie III heads to New York with the Jets as part of this deal. With his varied skillset, he would make the team more dynamic and opportunistic. His inclusion would give them the burgeoning star that they need as they look to become more dynamic on the offensive end.
As the NFL season progresses, both teams will be watching closely how this trade impacts their performance on the field. I know the Eagles are thrilled at the opportunity to take a Michael Carter II and fortify their secondary. In the meantime, the Jets are just really, really excited to have Metchie in their pipeline.
Leave a Reply