The Philadelphia Eagles just acquired this player, and yet he is already on the chopping block.
Back at the NFL trade deadline, the Philadelphia Eagles had some very obvious holes they needed to fill, and one of them was in the secondary.
More specifically, the Eagles needed help at the cornerback position, so they acquired both Jaire Alexander and Michael Carter II in separate deals.
Unfortunately, Alexander never suited up for Philadelphia, and while Carter played, he barely made an impact.
Now, Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine has tabbed Carter as a potential cut candidate for the Eagles heading into the 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."
Philadelphia stands to save $8.7 million if it releases Carter, who is really the only viable cap casualty on the roster in terms of actually pocketing cash.
Carter logged 10 tackles in eight games with Philly in 2025. He managed 24 tackles and a couple of passes defended in 13 games between the Jets and the Eagles on the season as a whole.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Michael Carter II. Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images.The 26-year-old was originally selected by New York in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and spent the first four-and-a-half years of his career with the Jets, where he established himself as a key piece of New York's secondary.
In fact, Carter posted 72 tackles, a sack and five passes defended as soon as his rookie campaign, and since entering the league, he has amassed 26 passes defended. His only two interceptions came in 2022.
The Eagles have a rather tenuous financial situation heading into the offseason, as they possess just $18.4 million in cap space right now, per Over the Cap.
Philadelphia could restructure some contracts or hand out some extensions in an attempt to create some more room for free-agent additions, but it's going to be difficult for Philly.
The Eagles went 11-6 and won the NFC East division title, but they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
It should also be noted that Philadelphia went just 7-7 — including playoffs — after getting off to a 4-0 start on the season.
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