The Jets cornerback room just got smaller and less experienced.
New York released third-year cornerback Blessuan Austin after the team unsuccessfully tried to trade him, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Austin started 16 games over the past two seasons after the Jets took him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.
Austin, 25, was expected to start alongside Bryce Hall this year, but now he’ll search for another team. The Rutgers product tallied 88 combined tackles, eight defended passes, two forced fumbles and no interceptions during his two seasons with the Jets.
Austin recently said he was “the real deal” and that he can “make a lot of plays on that field that other corners cannot make.” Apparently, the Jets didn’t feel the same way about the young cornerback.
The Jets could now start one of their 2021 rookies alongside Hall at cornerback. Sixth-round pick Brandin Echols flashed the most this summer, though fellow rookies Jason Pinnock and Isaiah Dunn are also options. The Jets could also pick up another player in free agency or in a trade.
