Jets Hit Jackpot with Eagles-John Metchie III Trade Deadline Deal

The Jets took a risk by trading Michael Carter II for John Metchie III, but it's paid off in a big way...

New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III (3) catches a pass as Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) looks on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Jets were one of the most aggressive teams in the league last season, specifically at the trade deadline.

They swung two blockbuster deals to send Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys and Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts. But they also made an under the radar move that bolstered their roster quite a bit.

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Bleacher Report's Alex Kay recently went back and regraded all of last season's trade deadline deals. At the time of the move, the Jets were given a "D" grade for the John Metchie III for Michael Carter II swap with the Eagles while the Eagles were given an "A" grade. This time, Kay gave the Jets an "A" grade while giving the Eagles a "D" grade.

Jets-Eagles trade deadline deal was a huge win for New York

New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III (3) runs the ball as New England Patriots safety John Saunders Jr. (23) defends during a game at MetLife Stadium, Dec 28, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"The Eagles and Jets elected to swap underperforming players at the deadline. While Philly was initially praised for landing a seemingly serviceable corner for a wideout who hadn't cracked their rotation, New York got the most value out of the deal," Kay wrote. "Metchie wound up being a valuable backup for Gang Green, stepping into a larger role late in the season. He finished his tenure in the Big Apple having caught 29 of his 44 targets for 256 yards and two touchdowns—a massive increase over the four catches he had in seven games for the Eagles.

"Carter didn't play much for Philadelphia, recording just one start in his eight games. He was on the field for only 20 percent of the team's defensive snaps—he had a 45 percent defensive snap share in New York—in those contests, contributing just 10 tackles. While the Eagles still have Carter under contract for two more seasons and could get more value out of the corner, for now they are the clear losers of this trade."

Carter struggled with the Jets. He was seemingly the worst cornerback in their room, so the fact that the Jets were able to land a potential starting wide receiver for Carter was a huge success.

With the Eagles, Carter didn't play much and he doesn't project to make much of an impact going forward.

For the Jets, Metchie has a chance to earn playing time over the coming years, though New York is likely going to add a wide receiver or two in the NFL draft and free agency. Metchie made seven starts with the Jets and recorded 256 yards and two touchdowns, marking his career high in both categories.

Metchie might not look like a superstar, but he could carve out a role for the Jets. He's certainly not negatively impacting the Jets like Carter was. This was a huge win for New York.