What Jarvis Brownlee’s breakout means for Jets in ’25 and beyond

There was a reason why Tennessee Titans fans were so upset when the team shipped cornerback Jarvis Brownlee to the New York Jets.

In his first season in Nashville, Brownlee built a reputation for being a physical and hard-working cornerback. A former fifth-round pick out of Louisville, Brownlee was shipped to New York on September 23 for a late-round pick swap.

While it took some time to see the second-year pro on the field, Brownlee’s impact was felt immediately last week. He recorded six tackles, put up a Pro Football Focus grade of 90.4 (the Jets’ highest of the week), and even forced the team’s first turnover of 2025.

New York may have lost to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but they clearly have something in their new corner.

Brownlee shines in Jets debut

For the first five weeks of the season, the Jets’ secondary struggled mightily in the slot. Quarterbacks had feasted on the former starter in Michael Carter II, once considered one of the better slot defenders in the game.

In 2025, Carter has given up eight completions on 12 targets for 156 yards. While he hasn’t given up a touchdown yet, Carter’s average of 19.5 yards allowed per completion is among the worst in the NFL for players targeted over 10 times.

For context, Marlon Humphrey, starting cornerback for the struggling Baltimore Ravens, allows an average of 16 yards per reception. Jaire Alexander, another struggling Raven corner, allows over 20 yards per reception.

It’s not the type of company you want to keep at this point in time.

With Carter out due to a concussion on Sunday, Brownlee was thrust into the starting lineup, and he did not disappoint.

“It was huge for us,” head coach Aaron Glenn said. “Brownlee is one of those guys that is very physical, he loves man coverage, and he came in and learned our system fairly quick.

“This Brownlee is a pretty good player, and hopefully he can continue to ascend with us.”

Brownlee showed on tape all the things that made him a fan favorite in Tennessee. He was around the ball, was sticky in coverage, and made plays when New York needed them.

Brownlee’s performance will have a massive impact on the Jets’ future, not just going into Week 7.

A change at corner?

It was evident from the beginning that the Broncos did not want to test Brownlee after his electrifying start with the Jets on Sunday. The second-year corner was targeted just once and did not give up a completion.

As Carter struggles, opponents are more likely to have success targeting the fifth-year veteran than New York’s thriving young corner.

With two more years of team control following the 2025 season, Brownlee isn’t going anywhere. He earned more playing time with his performance on Sunday, bringing a level of physicality that has been missing within the Jets’ defense.

It does, however, mean that Carter’s time in New York may be running out. While the Duke product signed a three-year extension in 2024, there is an out in his contract after 2025 that would force the Jets to pay just $8.2 million in dead cap rather than the expected $12.3 million if he were to stay on the team.

If the Jets release Carter during the offseason, it would free up over $4 million in cap space. A post-June 1 release would save New York nearly $9 million in cap space while spreading Carter’s dead money over the next two years.

In short, Carter’s future with the Jets isn’t looking so good at this point.

The better Brownlee plays, the more likely the Jets are to move on from their former starting slot corner in the offseason.

If last week was any indication, Brownlee’s breakout is a sign of things to come.