Brandon Stephens had opportunities to sign with other teams in free agency.
But there was a specific reason why he decided to sign a three-year, $36 million contract with the Jets, beyond just the monetary value.
“I’ve been a fan of [Aaron Glenn] for a while,” Stephens told the Daily News. “You know, just seeing them in Detroit and whatnot and knowing a couple of guys that have played under him, I just felt like this was just a good opportunity for me. I wanted to be around defensive-minded coaches.
“Plus, it is New York. You can’t beat New York. I just wanted to be a part of the change here, be a part of what we are going to do and what we visualize doing. You know, I just wanted to be a part of that.”
When the Jets signed Stephens, 27, in March, it was met with a ton of criticism. The team had just let D.J. Reed sign with the Lions in free agency for a similar contract (three years, $45 million), and Stephens was coming off a subpar 2024 season with the Ravens.
Last year, Stephens allowed the fifth-most receptions (65) in the NFL, and opposing quarterbacks had a 107.4 passer rating when he was in pass coverage. He also allowed the most targets (96) in the league and the second-most passing yards (806) of any cornerback.
Pro Football Focus gave Stephens a 55.8 grade and ranked him 155th out of 223 cornerbacks. Stephens finished with 70 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 10 pass deflections and the Ravens won the AFC North.
But since he signed with the Jets, Stephens has been one of Gang Green’s better defensive players throughout training camp. He has not only been active guarding Garrett Wilson and some of the other Jets receivers, but Stephens has also registered multiple interceptions during practices. That includes Wednesday’s practice when he intercepted Justin Fields during team drills.
“Number one, coming in, I love his leadership,” Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said about Stephens. “Coming from an organization like the Ravens and the things that he learned there.
“He has a voice in the room, but when you look at his qualities as a player, his length, his speed, his quickness, he’s definitely taken a step in the right direction.”
The Jets have big plans for Stephens. He will play on the opposite side of the field from two-time All-Pro Sauce Gardner.
“That’s one player I’ve been talking about for the longest during camp,” Glenn said about Stephens. “I mean, I can go back to OTAs and how he’s been operating. He’s everything that we imagined. He’s big, he’s physical. He has really good coverage skills.
“He’s a damn good player, and I’m glad we have him.”
Stephens is also no stranger to elite defenses. He joined the Jets after four seasons with the Ravens, where he was part of a unit that finished 10th in yards and ninth in points per game last year.
The Jets were also a top 10 defense when it came to yards allowed last season (313.8). But their defense plummeted in the final 12 weeks after Robert Saleh was fired. During that span, they allowed 26.6 points per game (28th in the league) and 337.9 yards per game (18th).
Stephens is hoping to bring a high standard to a Jets team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010, which is the longest postseason drought in North American sports.
“I mean, it could be as good as we want it to be,” Stephens said about the defense. “We say in the meetings, it doesn’t matter what the play is, just execute what the play is.
“That comes from each player doing their responsibility, whatnot. If we continue to work out here, like I said, and continue to build that chemistry, that camaraderie, on and off the field, man, it’ll be truly special.”
Stephens is also hoping to build a one-two tandem with Gardner that is one of the best cornerback combos in the league. Gardner, like Stephens, is a physical cornerback who can be disruptive in pass coverage. They are also hoping to bring down a few interceptions in the process.
An essential part of that is Stephens and Gardner learning and growing from one another.
“We are always talking to each other, trying to just pick each other’s brains,” Stephens said. “You know, obviously, he’s been doing what he does for a while at a high level.
“I know, I would be a fool if I didn’t pick his brain a little bit and vice versa. It’s truly great, you know, just being on the same field as him, playing opposite him and just continuing to build that trust between one another.”
