PHILADELPHIA – For weeks, Michael Carter II has been the guy nobody was talking about. A mid-season pickup from the Jets, quietly signed after New York moved on from the former Robert Saleh favorite. He practiced, he waited, he learned Vic Fangio’s scheme. And then, in one chaotic third quarter in Dallas, the Eagles’ secondary crumbled – and Carter suddenly became the most important depth piece Philadelphia has.
It started with Adoree’ Jackson leaving with a concussion. Minutes later, Reed Blankenship pulled up with a thigh injury. By the time rookie safety Andrew Mukuba was carted off with a fractured ankle in the fourth quarter, the Eagles were down three defensive backs on an 89-yard Cowboys touchdown march that flipped a 21-0 laugher into a gut-punch.
Musical chairs in the secondary ensued.
Sydney Brown slid in at safety. Cooper DeJean kicked outside to corner. And Michael Carter II – the new guy in Kelly Green – got thrown into the fire for his first meaningful snaps as an Eagle: 25 in total, mostly in the slot where he once starred for the Jets.
Vic Fangio didn’t blink when asked why he trusted the fifth-year veteran over younger options like Kelee Ringo.
“I think he’s a good football player,” Fangio said. “Good natural football player. Understands the game. Good instincts, good technique.”
That trust will be tested again – and fast.
With Jackson and Blankenship both racing the short week to return for Friday’s showdown against the surging Chicago Bears, and Mukuba officially done for an extended period, Carter’s versatility is about to go from nice-to-have to must-have. He’s practiced at slot corner, outside corner, and even safety since arriving in Philly. Wherever Fangio points, Carter will play.
And he’ll do it against a Bears offense that just hung 34 on Detroit last week. Caleb Williams is slinging it to DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and rookie sensation Luther Burden III like a veteran. Chicago is 8-3 and playing with house money.
For Carter, it’s the exact kind of stage he was brought here for – even if nobody saw it coming this soon.
Once one of the NFL’s best nickel corners under Saleh in New York, Carter fell out of favor when Aaron Glenn took over the Jets defense. Howie Roseman pounced, snagging a proven player at a bargain price. The talent never left. The opportunity just needed injuries to create it.
Now it has.
The Eagles’ secondary is battered, but it might have just stumbled onto its secret weapon at the perfect time. Michael Carter II isn’t a household name yet.
By Friday night, Eagles fans might know it by heart.