The New York Jets made a trade this week.
After starting 0-3, the team clearly felt like some moves needed to be made. As a result, the Jets swung a deal with the Tennessee Titans for standout young cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
It was shocking to see Brownlee traded considering the corner was just drafted last year and had seemingly been one of the few bright spots on the Titans' roster. What was even more shocking was the compensation: The Titans reportedly sent Brownlee and a seventh-round pick to the Jets for just one sixth-round pick.
From a production standpoint, this seems like a steal of a deal for the Jets. Brownlee was good as a rookie and earned a starting spot after being a fifth-round pick. The Louisville product collected 75 tackles, seven tackles for loss, nine pass deflections, and one interception in 2024.
After the news broke, a report from A to Z Sports indicated that the trade was made due to locker room issues surrounding Brownlee. According to that report, several unnamed scouts referred to Brownlee as "a nut," "cancer," and "high maintenance," among other descriptors.
Brownlee seemingly took exception to this report, however, and offered a retort in a now-deleted social media post.
"Aye bro stop putting (emoji) on here that's not facts… I never ever was a problem in Florida (State) nor Louisville nor the TITANS..." Brownlee posted on X, then later deleted. "I was one of the guys who brought energy into that building every single day (100 emoji). I bled red and blue so stop the false writing on me (please) thank you."
Of course, no player would come out and admit they were a problem. Something that gives the report credence is that Brownlee didn't get drafted until the fifth round even though he was productive in college and had a early-to-mid-round grade.
Brownlee will have a chance to prove the Titans wrong with the Jets. The Jets seemingly needed more corner depth after Sauce Gardner left the Week 3 matchup with a concussion. Brownlee has plenty of starting experience on the outside and should compete with rookie Azareye'h Thomas for snaps.
Even if Brownlee isn't the best locker room presence, it's hard to not consider the Jets a winner here. After all, all the team had to give up was a late-round pick swap. It's also important to note there's no definitive proof that Brownlee is a "cancer," so this could end up being an overall great deal for the Jets.
The first opportunity for Brownlee to play with his new team is in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins.