Michael Carter, New York Jets Running Back

We continue. It is the Zach Gelb Show Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio, our number two of our radio program. Let's talk a little bit about the New York Jets right now. Big expectations ever since acquiring Aaron Rodgers. And now joining us is a man that's entering his third year in the NFL. Was a fourth round pick back in the 2021 NFL Draft via UNC.

And that of course is Jets running back in Michael Carter. Michael, always great to catch up with you. Appreciate the time. How you been? Yeah man, I'm doing good. How you doing?

I'm doing fantastic. So I know you guys just wrapped up OTAs. You'll have six weeks off and then training camp will get underway. Exciting season upcoming for the Jets. Just what's been the vibe so far being around the guys the last few weeks? Yeah, it's been amazing.

I can't even put it into words. Just my time here, this is the best it's ever felt here. So really excited. Keep it working a lot and it feels good to feel like we're in a great place heading into the, you know, 40 days and 40 nights of Hall of Wars before the season starts. When you found out that Aaron Rodgers was going to be your quarterback, I know it seemed like it was a done deal for a while, but when the deal was officially finalized, just how did you find out about it and how did you react to get him one of the the all-time great quarterbacks in your locker room?

Yeah, so I found out and I got a group message with my brothers and a couple close friends and I was actually taking a nap, but I woke up to text and hey, I got Aaron and I'm going to Super Bowl. You know, everybody hyped it up, but so it's really cool to be able to play with a player, you know, of that caliber and he's also more than a player. People don't think, I don't know if people give me credit, but he's an awesome teammate and he's very helpful to have around and it just, I feel like just elevating everybody's game around him and that's what True Great does. So also, you know, we're under expectations of, you know, obviously you get a good quarterback like that. You're going to want to, you know, people are going to put expectations on him and those around him, so it's just a matter of, you know, enjoying the game and playing the game.

We always know how to play. That's got to be the greatest nap of your life where you take a nap and you wake up and then you have Aaron Rodgers. That's a wild story.

Right, you wake up, you're still dreaming. Is it a little surreal in the locker room when you have a guy that has done that much greatness in the NFL and has been a part of that much greatness, now he's in your locker room? Are you guys like past that awkward stage where it's okay that the Jets have Aaron Rodgers? I know it's a professional business, but it has to be a little bit surreal with him being in that locker room now. Yeah, to be honest, I think a lot of that is credit to Aaron.

He makes it feel like he's the one that leaves that charge making it not a big deal and so I think it just speaks to his credit. To have a superstar that's done so much in the game and done so much for the game on and off the field, just come in and be like one of the guys and just be, you know, like humble and approach but very confident and human, you know, because, you know, we're going to put him on a pedestal because we've seen what he can do and we've seen what he's done and what he's about to do and he's just continued to be great but, you know, he carries himself humbly and I'm grateful to have him as a teammate so he kind of led the way. It wasn't really a long transition period. It was awesome. What have you guys been doing to build that chemistry when you're bringing a new quarterback?

Yeah, I mean, we get pretty diverse about, you know, how we jail and things like that. You know, my first, I think as soon as he got here, I think the first weekend I think he was here was like the weekend of the Kentucky Derby and so I was going to go anyway but I actually met him and Allen Lazar out there in Atlanta. And every time, you know, I got to travel with him for a while and, you know, just really become friends, you know, on top of just teammates so just being around each other along with the other guys and just communicating and talking football and talking life so he's a great teammate along with Allen and, you know, Randall and the rest of the guys that came in.

Jeff's running back Michael Carter here with us. That's pretty neat going to the Kentucky Derby with Dan Rogers. You're all jealous a little bit that Sauce Gardner got to go to Carbone the next game and sit right next to Jessica Alba. No, she's a great actor but, you know, I got to live my life the way I'm supposed to live so but I thought it was really cool that he, they met her and he had some cleats made where her face was so he's doing it all. What's up with Sauce?

How did Sauce not know who Jessica Alba was before that? Did you guys give him some crap in the locker room over that? You know, you'll be surprised like a couple of our teammates didn't know what she was but what they knew that she was like she was on Fantastic Four but I think sometimes like it gets lost like we know the character we don't know the name of the character so you'd be surprised, you know, we're a little bit he's 21 years old.

Yeah. Michael Carter here with us. So you talked about the expectations and when you bring in a player the caliber of Aaron Rodgers and last year you guys had a good team it just seemed like the success of the quarterback position was missing what type of offense do you think you guys can have this upcoming season? Yeah, I mean there's no I don't feel there's any feeling on what we can do it's just a matter of the work that we put in and attention to detail that we also put in so I don't think there's any limits or boundaries for what we could do but you know the offseason doesn't mean anything it's all about what you do when it's tough. And this division is just really tough we know what Buffalo's done the last few years Belichick is always Belichick two has a bunch of weapons to throw the football to with the Miami Dolphins do you feel like you guys this is your division or do you still look at Buffalo as hey in order to be the champs you got to beat the champs?

You know what I think uh it's a good question I think you know I was actually just watching ESPN right now and um we're all inside the top 12 in our power rankings obviously I'm sitting at lunch and there's not too much you can do to ignore that I'm sitting right in front of me but I think we probably do have the best division in football and we had an argument the other day with a couple NFL friends but um I don't you know every season's a new season so obviously the Buffalo Bills are a great team and so is New England and so is Miami but also so are we so I think the only time we'll tell you know to answer that question. What did you really challenge yourself after two years in the NFL to work on this offseason to get the best year three possible for you providing to this football team Michael Carter? Yeah I think um the mental game like the game within the game I think obviously like throughout my two years I've proven that I am a good player in this league and um um I've been pretty uh I don't know since I've had my ups and my downs and you know it just the game is opportunity based game and a confidence based game but those things can't can't waver up and down so um just maintaining my consistency and and and how I approach the game and understanding that there's no moment too big or no moment too small so just really understanding myself and getting in even more in depth of this offense and even if we got new offensive coordinator in a similar scheme so I'm just being able to advance my uh my my football education so I'm just just growing within the game and and understand that you gotta be explosive and make plays and extend plays and how I can get creative in doing that so I'm excited for the season. Well talking about explosive I saw Breece Hall the other day running he looks pretty damn healthy to me I know he's still in that recovery process you know Breece very well being a teammate sharing that running back room with him what could you tell us about uh Breece Hall and what your kind to see it at the facility with him right now? Yeah I mean he's in great spirits uh as far as I know I mean doing really well um I was told he was ahead of schedule and also like he's doing good so I'm excited to have him back and excited to see him ball. How would you describe your guys's relationship Breece Hall and Michael Carter?

Yeah I think it's grown so much over time um it's honestly a unique relationship he acts a lot like my older brother so he kind of feels like a family member already but so it's been cool just being able to grow alongside him and um when he came in kind of like being like his guide a little bit to watching him now like got the younger guys too and you know we have a really good I feel like we got a great relationship. Michael Carter that running back room could get a little extra crowded I see all these rumors uh with Dalvin Cook being released that maybe he could actually end up being a New York Jet how would you react to that if Dalvin Cook ends up signing with the Jets? Yeah to be honest uh I don't know it's really not my business but I do know that he's a really good player and um you know I'm from Florida so kind of like watching him at Florida State and Miami Central and obviously going with the Vikings it's weird to see how how the Vikings wouldn't want him it kind of feels weird but um he's a good player so I mean I can't control what they do obviously I also feel like you know running back room is time where we at but if that does happen then you know I guess we'll see. I know ego really builds people as well and it's a reason why you got to believe in yourself for a football team to be so great but when you have so much talent sometimes people wonder if maybe if carries or touches get limited if that could be a detriment to someone in a locker room just where's the ego out of this football team and do you feel like this is a selfless group right now? Yeah I do I feel like you know at the end of the day all of us want to win all of us want to get paid all of us want to do those things you know the real those are real goals that we have but um I think that none of that really happens unless you win football games and I think that's also the understanding so um yeah no I think the egos are you know to the side and I think that also you understand that we've got some guys and and that are later in their career that are really looking to win the Super Bowl and also as much as they want to win one the younger guys want to win one team that's all we play for that's a huge reason why we play is to win the big game and you know understand the guys that have won the Super Bowl in the building they're very uh they're very keen on letting us know that what it really takes to win the Super Bowl and that and what it can do for your life that can change your whole life from winning one game so getting there is the biggest challenge and then um but it takes time and it's a process that starts now. I know it's just early on in the process Michael Carter third year running back for the Jets it's one thing to say I believe we're a Super Bowl contender I ask any player that of course they're going to say yes but do you really feel that this could be a Super Bowl team this upcoming year? Yes no question you know we got a defense an elite defense we have elite special teams and then we have an offense that the way that we've been looking has is on very much on our way to being elite so it just takes time offense takes time and when you have a new oc new quarterback um and you have depth at all positions and you have explosive players at all positions we have uh everything that you would need on paper to win a championship so all that is and you know now it's just a matter of displaying it we can be consistent in doing that. Last thing I'm going to ask you Michael Carter it's actually to be about one of your college teammates and Sam Howell you guys shared that same backfield at UNC he's trying to be the starting quarterback now for the Washington commanders what can you tell us about what the commanders have in Sam Howell? Yeah they gotta they gotta I there's no words I just think that um well for one he shouldn't have been no fifth round pick definitely he should have won that first round but you know everything happened for a reason and um you know he's rooted deep in faith and um you know carries him a long way and he's a great player he's an even better person and I'm always rooting for him from the side and I think he's gonna tear the league up just give him a few minutes he's gonna do great. And you gotta be excited for UNC this year I know what Drake May did a season ago but everyone in college football is now talking about Caleb Williams and then the UNC quarterback and Drake May. Yeah I'm taking Drake over him even though Caleb is amazing he won a high but um I'm just biased but also you know from an unbiased perspective it's a toss up of their both great players um I think Drake has a great game um he's a winner he knows how to win and also you know from even from a defensive perspective I think UNC probably has one of the best front sevens in the country coming into the year and not that they're all super hyped up um on the media besides Cedric I think maybe Cedric Gray Miles Murphy but um from top to bottom they have a bunch of speed size power um IQ all that everything that you need um obviously they're led by Max so he's always gonna put a great team together. Well I always appreciate the time Michael Carter thanks so much and good luck this upcoming season. Yeah yes thank you thank you.