Reclamation project and cornerback Michael Carter II didn’t exactly work out as a trade deadline acquisition for Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles. As a result, Carter may not be on the team’s roster next season.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine argued Friday the Eagles are most likely to cut Carter of any player this offseason.
“The cornerback was brought in via trade this season so his deal with the Jets is structured in a way that a release could make sense,” Ballentine wrote. “The Eagles brought him in for the final eight games of the season, but he only played 20 percent of the snaps.”
In five NFL seasons, Carter has never started more than seven games in one campaign. But as a 2021 fifth-round pick, Carter once appeared to be a diamond in the rough.
“Once considered an ascending player, Carter has battled injuries in the past two seasons,” wrote ESPN’s Tim McManus and Rich Cimini after his trade to the Eagles on October 29. “He missed four games last season because of a back injury, and he has missed three this year because of a concussion.”
The ESPN analyst concluded Carter fell out of favor with the Jets. The same could be the case in Philadelphia.
Michael Carter II’s Lack of Playing Time for Nick Sirianni
The Eagles can save $8.7 million with a pre-June 1 release for Carter. That’s the most obvious reason why pundits are going to call him a cut candidate.
If Carter had played a significant role in Philadelphia after the trade, perhaps he could have earned a 2026 roster spot. However, that didn’t happen.
Carter posted 10 combined tackles in eight games. He only played 106 defensive snaps.
Additionally, Carter lined up for 65 snaps on special teams.
The Eagles aren’t in a terrible cap situation. According to Spotrac, they are ranked 19th in cap space with about $10.9 million.
However, they have some tough decisions to make with free agents. The Eagles also won’t be able to save much money with other cut candidates.
That makes the nearly $9 million the team can save from a Carter release valuable.
Philadelphia landed the cornerback from the Jets for wide receiver John Metchie III. The team’s also exchanged late Day 3 2027 picks.
Eagles Ex-Ascending Player Pegged Cut Candidate for 2026 NFL Offseason