The Arizona Cardinals quickly swooped in on former New York Jets running back Michael Carter on Wednesday.
“Former #Jets RB Michael Carter was claimed by the #AZCardinals today, source said,” per NFL.com national insider Ian Rapoport.
The Jets made Michael Carter the 107th overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft out of North Carolina football.
Carter's surprising release occurred amid the Jets' recent struggles. Gang Green has lost two in a row without recording a touchdown. The disturbing trend prompted the Jets to organize a players-only meeting after their 16-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 10.
To their dismay, the players found out about Michael Carter's release several hours after their players-only meeting.
“This one hurts the most. I can't even lie,” Jets tackle Mekhi Becton tweeted.
Michael Carter had a combined 1,041 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 261 carries for the Jets from 2021 to 2022. He struggled with just 38 rushing yards and zero touchdowns on eight carries in nine games this year.
As for the Cardinals, signing Carter is a great contingency plan. Injury-prone starting halfback James Conner injured his knee in Week 5. Conner has suffered various injuries in his seven-year NFL career.
If Arizona continues to rely on James Conner, having Michael Carter around is good insurance policy should the former get injured again. Carter stands out in the Cardinals' running back corps that includes Emari Demercado, Keaontay Ingram, Tony Jones, and Corey Clement.
The Cardinals snapped their six-game losing streak with a 25-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10. Things don't get any easier, though: Jonathan Gannon's troops square off against a red-hot CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Hopefully, Michael Carter will make an immediate impact with Arizona.
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