On March 13, the New York Jets signed former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens to a three-year deal for $36 million. This was the second-largest contract the Jets doled out this offseason in free agency.
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report recently predicted that in a matter of months, Stephens will go from the apple of the Jets’ eye to the bench before the 2025 season even starts.
“The defense is looking at having at least one new starter at safety and cornerback. While free-agent signing Brandon Stephens is the favorite to start opposite Gardner, don’t sleep on [Qwan’tez] Stiggers, who was a CFL All-Star and Rookie of the Year in 2023,” Holder explained.
Holder predicted that the Week 1 starters at cornerback will be Gardner, Stiggers, and Michael Carter II in the nickel.
The Stephens Signing Will Have to Be Proven on the Football Field
Stephens, 27, entered the league as the No. 104 overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens. During that stretch, Stephens appeared in 65 games and made 48 starts.
Stephens has 259 total tackles, two interceptions, and 32 pass deflections in his career.
When the Jets stole Stephens away from the Ravens in free agency, the move was met with a lot of skepticism from the outside.
“When you do unpack Stephens’ body of work, it raises skepticism about the Jets’ decision to sign him to the contract they did. As of this writing (8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday), Stephens’ contract currently ranks 21st among cornerbacks in average annual value and 22nd in total guarantees. Yet, his body of work does not put him anywhere close to that tier of the position,” Michael Nania wrote for Jets X-Factor.
I still can’t wrap my head around this Brandon Stephens deal by the #Jets… and I don’t think there is any way you can ➡️ https://t.co/oM5IAmlWkC pic.twitter.com/EylarlsuRS
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) March 11, 2025
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“It’s gonna be interesting to see how Brandon Stephens is used. That’s a surprise signing to me. He quite often was targeted by other teams, and they were quite successful,” former Jets wide receiver Rob Carpenter posted on social media.
The Jets obviously believe in Stephens a lot more than the fans and outside media do. Head coach Aaron Glenn played the corner position for 15 years in the NFL. He is one of the best corners to ever do it in Jets franchise history. If anyone should get the benefit of the doubt with a position, it might be Glenn.
A Surprise Replacement for Stephens in the Starting Lineup
Stephens getting benched before Week 1 even gets here would be a massive surprise. However, Holder’s prediction for who would replace him is even more surprising.
Qwan’tez Stiggers, 23, entered the league as a fifth-round pick, No. 176 overall, in the 2024 NFL draft.
During his rookie campaign, Stiggers appeared in 14 games and made one start. He played in 5% of the defensive snaps.
To go from a day three pick by a previous regime to overtaking one of the highest-paid free agents on your team within 17 months would be quite the turnaround.
Stiggers is used to unique paths, though. He didn’t play college football. Instead, Stiggers participated in FCF (fan controlled football), a 7-on-7 league. He showed enough there to get an opportunity in the Canadian Football League. Stiggers won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie award, which got him on the radar of NFL teams.
Stiggers made a promise that he is going to be a starting cornerback in the NFL. If Holder’s prediction is true, it’ll come in 2025.
