NY Jets Hold Players Only Meeting Only To Release Popular Running Back Michael Carter Immedaitely Afterwards
Elsa. Getty Images.
Advertisement
SOURCE - With their season at a crisis point, the New York Jets held a players-only meeting Tuesday and -- in a surprising move -- waived running back Michael Carter.
"The guys talked, and we had the floor," wide receiver Garrett Wilson said during his weekly spot on the "Bart & Hahn Show" on ESPN New York radio. "It was just us. We got to make sure we're all on the same page about where we're at and how the hell we get out of this funk, man. That was really the message. When it comes from one of your teammates, it always hits different. It always resonates a little bit more."
A few hours after the meeting, the Jets announced Carter's release, which stunned the locker room. Tackle Mekhi Becton said on X, "This one hurts the most. I can't even lie."
It really is pretty impressive that the Jets can't even do a players-only meeting right. If the organization knows they are going to cut Carter, why not just do it before the meeting? All the positive vibes from a meeting is good for nothing if you're going to fire their teammate hours later.
I get its professional sports and this happens every day but I also think that can be a simplistic way of looking at this situation. The other point of view is that this is someone who has been a co-worker and friend to these guys for three years. That's a decent amount of time to work with someone.
Is cutting Michael Carter going to disrupt the entire season and lose the locker room? I doubt it. But it does make a players only meeting not really the takeaway from the day. Tough to say shit like it's you against the world when Joe Douglas can just cut one of you before you break for lunch.
Make no mistakes about it, this is a Jets team with far bigger issues than who the third string running back should be. They haven't scored a touchdown in 11 quarters. Zach Wilson has 1 touchdown in the last 5 games. They have a 3% chance of making the playoffs. This is an infuriating season.
They face the equally frustrating Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Jets will need to win that game as well as the Black Friday contest against the Dolphins the following week before you can even start to consider this 2023 season off life support.
Here's something to consider the next time they have a team meeting. If they want to improve the team's chances they can Zach Wilson afterwards.