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After a stunning 28-25 defeat to the previously winless Dolphins on Sunday, the Jets fell to 2-5, unable to string together wins despite a roster that looks much improved on paper. In that loss, New York had a 100-yard rusher, a 100-yard receiver, a defense that allowed only seven second-half points, and a quarterback who threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Yet it was not enough in a rock-bottom performance that featured another poorly executed game plan from the coaching staff.
While head coach Aaron Glenn deserves much of the blame for his continued game-management struggles, the players on the field must also do their part and make a strong impression. Cornerback Brandon Stephens, now in his second season with Gang Green, is one such example: he is exceptional against the run and versatile at multiple positions, but he has struggled to create turnovers throughout his career.
In his last four games alone, Stephens has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 11 of 16 passes (68.8%) for 167 yards and a touchdown when targeting him, an average of 15.2 yards per catch. For comparison, he allowed only seven completions on 13 targets for 78 yards (11.1 yards per catch) in his first three games. With a career average of 12.1 yards per catch allowed, that is not the kind of performance he needs to be displaying in Year 2 of a three-year contract. It is safe to say Stephens needs to step up—and soon.
Jets Need More from Brandon Stephens Moving Forward
To his credit, Stephens has three pass breakups in the last four games, but he has yet to record an interception this season and has none since recording the only two picks of his career in 2023 with the Ravens. Sure, the Jets have only one interception as a team this season (Minkah Fitzpatrick), so Stephens is not alone in that regard. This was also a defense that gave up 28 points to a team that had not led this season and could not stop the run if it tried—a disappointing all-around performance by the entire group against the Dolphins.
That said, much more is expected from Stephens as a starting corner alongside Azareye'h Thomas. For comparison, Thomas has 33 tackles, two tackles for loss, and five passes defended. Stephens, meanwhile, has 19 tackles, one tackle for loss, six passes defended, and one fumble recovery in the same number of games. While a player's success is not solely determined by those stats, there is clearly room for improvement for a starting corner with Stephens' talent.
According to Pro Football Focus, Stephens has the 38th-ranked overall grade (65.1), the 27th-ranked coverage grade (68.1), and the 53rd-ranked run-defense grade (61.8) out of 103 qualified cornerbacks. That indicates the potential Stephens brings, but it has not been enough lately as the Jets face an uphill climb the rest of the season.
He is still under contract with a $14 million cap hit in 2027, per Spotrac, but the Jets have a $12 million out in the offseason that they can use if they feel he has not done enough to justify keeping him at that cap hit for his final year. Adding that to the over $96.8 million that New York is projected to have would help general manager Darren Mougey be one of the most powerful spenders in March.
What Does Brandon Stephens Need to Do to Remain with Gang Green?
Along with his durability and run-defense skills, Stephens has shown flashes of high-level play in heavy man-coverage schemes throughout his career, but he has mostly been inconsistent when isolated without safety help. That said, he has the prototypical size (6'1", 215 lbs) for his position and the athletic traits suited for press-man when those opportunities arise.
While Fitzpatrick has the team's lone interception this season and safety Dane Belton has proved to be the best offseason signing with a team-high 56 tackles, the rest of the secondary has not really stood out on a consistent basis. Even Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who has been a bright spot for the defense but was a healthy scratch in Week 7, ranks lower than Stephens in overall grade (60.3), coverage grade (63.1), and run-defense grade (58.2) from PFF. That alone should not measure a player's success, but it does show things could be a lot worse for Stephens.
With that in mind, he will likely get more opportunities against the Raiders' sixth-ranked scoring attack (26.1 ppg) on Sunday. If Stephens cannot figure out how to create some turnovers and get more consistent stops, he may not be around Gotham much longer.