Michael Carter II was a bit frustrated Monday when the ankle injury that caused him to miss most of training camp reoccurred, and while the Jets nickel cornerback doesn't expect it to be a long-term issue, he knows he needs to tread cautiously for the time being.
He found out about this last year.
Carter also had to be careful after missing two weeks with a hamstring injury.
Continue to strengthen.
Maybe he could use a little more time to warm up to make sure he's ready for the movements, cuts and sprints throughout the game.
Whether he can play through yet another niggling injury and remain available will play a key role for a defense looking to bounce back from its Week 1 humiliation against the 49ers.
Just days before the season began, the Jets signed Carter to a three-year, $30.75 million contract extension, the richest in the NFL, and he recorded two tackles in 19 appearances on Monday.
He was then forced to leave due to his ankle.
“Something could get worse,” Carter told The Post after practice Thursday, “that's the way it is. That's part of it. But I'm definitely feeling better this week than I was feeling on Monday.”
Coach Robert Saleh said Monday that Carter could have played the entire game if necessary, a sentiment Carter echoed Thursday, adding the following day that he was a limited participant in practice but was not at risk of missing Week 2's game against the Titans.
Asked if the Jets' nickelback corps would be comfortable if injuries continue to pile up, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich named Isaiah Oliver, Brandyn Echols and Ashtyn Davis as defensive backs who could play in the slot if needed.
After suffering a hamstring injury last year, Carter relied on the training and strength staff to help him return and regain his fitness.
He tried to be intentional in his warm-ups, with everything revolving around the goal of “putting on the calluses so it doesn't happen again.”
“It's helped me put my hamstring and whatever else I've been through,” Carter said. “So it's the same thing here, if I just prepare with a plan and I'm more intentional, I'll be able to give 100 percent.”
It worked fine once.
Carter did not miss any additional time after returning from a hamstring injury in Week 13 against the Falcons.
He tied his career high in passes defended (9) by season's end.
Despite another setback this year, Carter, and by extension the Jets secondary, will be hoping that caution will pay off again.
But Week 1 provided a glimpse into just how complicated the process can be.
“The process is right,” Ulbrich said of Carter. “The attitude is right. The approach is right. Once he gets his footing, he's going to get even better.”
