Can you think of a more consistent cornerback in the NFL than D.J. Reed?
Reed doesn’t think you can.
Taking to X, the New York Jets’ free-agent-to-be veteran cornerback replied to a highlight reel of himself (posted on November 6, 2024) with a challenge for fans: “Show me a corner who strap s— like me & is consistent year in & year out, you can’t.”
Reed has been a solid cornerback for the past five years (dating back to his 2020 season with Seattle), without question. He is in line to receive a big payday this offseason, likely from a team that does not rhyme with “Mets.”
Nonetheless, it is an odd post from the 28-year-old corner. What did he think there was to be gained by searching up a highlight reel of himself from November and posting this caption? Solid as he may be, Reed surely cannot be arrogant enough to think he is the most consistent cornerback in the NFL. Two cornerbacks on his own team were more consistent than him over the last three years.
Compare the coverage statistics (via Pro Football Focus) of Reed, Sauce Gardner, and Michael Carter II since 2022:
- Gardner (1,715 coverage snaps): 87/171 for 1,003 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT, 67.5 passer rating, 20 penalties
- Reed (1,702 coverage snaps): 125/213 for 1,373 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 83.3 passer rating, 21 penalties
- Carter II (1,114 coverage snaps): 115/175 for 1,017 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 80.1 passer rating, 6 penalties
Reed is coming off his worst NFL season among the five in which he has been deployed as an outside corner (he began playing there full-time in 2020). In 2024, Reed allowed a 91.7 passer rating (his worst from 2020-24) and committed 11 penalties (career-high and tied for second-most among cornerbacks). Considering he is around the age where cornerbacks begin to decline, his outlook going forward is murky. It would be risky to sign him to a multi-year contract at this stage of his career.
New York will probably not be the team taking that risk, as Reed has already made it abundantly clear that he expects to leave the Jets in free agency. Speaking to the media on December 31, Reed said, “I’m ready to go to free agency, bro. I’m ready to see what’s next for me.” His latest comments only further affirm that he has little interest in re-signing with the Jets.
Barring a surprising reunion, the Jets will be left with a hole at outside cornerback. They have two recent late-round draft picks in the pipeline, Qwan’tez Stiggers and Jarrick Bernard-Converse, although neither player has shown much of anything in live-game action thus far. Most likely, the Jets will look to free agency or the draft to fill Reed’s shoes. They could reunite Aaron Glenn with a familiar veteran, such as Lions cornerback Carlton Davis, or they could use the seventh overall pick on Michigan’s Will Johnson.
Whoever the Jets target, Glenn should consider their cultural fit as much as their on-field fit. Reed’s antics are emblematic of the me-first culture that has developed within the Jets organization over the past few years. One tweet doesn’t hurt anybody, but these posts are sneak peeks into the losing mindset that has permeated throughout the locker room.
Glenn must fill the Jets’ locker room with leaders who put the team above themselves. Only then will the Jets establish a consistent winning culture. The last three years in Florham Park proved that talent will only take you so far without the proper mindset.
