Getting Nahshon Wright Into Week 9 Lineup Is a No-Brainer Move Jets Can't Ignore

From T'Vondre Sweat to David Bailey to Omar Cooper Jr., the Jets have seen plenty of their offseason additions make an early impact—even if a 2-6 record as of Week 9 is less than ideal. That said, one new face in Gotham that hasn't made much noise is veteran cornerback Nahshon Wright, who joined the Jets on a one-year contract after notching a career-high five interceptions and his first-ever Pro Bowl nod last season.

It's fair to say that Wright's presence in Gotham has been nearly invisible. The 28-year-old defender has been a healthy scratch for more games (four) than he's played (three), and he hasn't seen a single defensive snap—all 22 of his opportunities have come on special teams.

No matter how you dress it up, Wright has clearly fallen out of favor with head coach Aaron Glenn's staff. That said, Gang Green has two legitimate reasons to consider getting the former 2021 third-rounder on the field this weekend, especially with the trade deadline almost here.

Jets have nothing to lose from throwing Nahshon Wright into the fire

One of the reasons why the Jets signed Wright was his defensive playmaking ability. Not only did he have five INTs with the Bears last season, but he also recovered three fumbles, showcasing the game-changing potential New York needed on defense.

While the Jets' defense has improved, their takeaway ability hasn't improved by much. Minkah Fitzpatrick's 27-yard interception against the Bears in Week 4 is still the only pick the Jets have recorded in their last 25 games. Sure, a few more were negated due to penalties this season, but that doesn't change the fact that winning will always be tougher if New York can't take the ball away.

Minkah Fitzpatrick gives the Jets their first INT in 636 pass attempts

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His coverage skills occasionally left something to be desired in the Windy City, but Wright's knack for intercepting the ball could be what the Jets need right now.

Brandon Stephens is back in penalty trouble and struggling to defend consistently, so it might be worth seeing what Wright can do with a few snaps. Jarvis Brownlee Jr. has slowly become a concern in the slot, while rookie D'Angelo Ponds still needs more seasoning before New York trusts him in a full-time role. He's mostly played on the outside throughout his NFL career; however, Wright played a career-high 36 slot snaps with Chicago last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Patrick Mahomes's 1.7% INT rate is the lowest it's been in the last six seasons, but that doesn't mean he can't make mistakes. He's thrown four interceptions in the Chiefs' first seven games, including two in the last three. He also threw two INTs when he last faced the Jets in Week 4 of the 2023 campaign, giving Glenn more reason to dress Wright and see if lightning can strike twice.

A potential pre-trade deadline boost

Having Wright in the Week 9 lineup wouldn't just be about bolstering Gang Green's INT numbers; it'd be about potentially shoring up his trade value.

After all, this year's deadline is coming up on Nov. 10, and all signs point to general manager Darren Mougey putting on his seller hat for the next week. The Jets have too many issues to overcome for the playoffs to be a realistic goal, meaning it's in their best interest to move any veterans they have no intention of keeping long-term.

Since he's on a one-year contract with an affordable cap hit, Wright could be a rental target for contenders. Furthermore, an interested party would only need $833,333 in cap space to make a deal work, according to Spotrac, which is a lot easier to swallow than other potentially available names. A solid effort against Kansas City would add to that value, potentially leading to New York getting a better late-round pick in return.

Sunday's clash with the Chiefs is the last game before the trade deadline, meaning the Jets won't have another chance to maximize Wright's worth. They clearly don't plan to consistently use him, so they may as well cut their losses and get something back rather than nothing in March.

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