Cornerback was one of the most polarizing positions on the Jets roster this season. Between the ineptitude of Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts and the rise and fall of Bless Austin and Arthur Maulet, the Jets rarely saw consistent play in the secondary.
One player who New York missed was veteran cornerback Morris Claiborne, who the Chiefs signed after the Jets let him walk this offseason. Claiborne had two solid seasons in New York as one of the team’s top outside cornerbacks, but the Jets wanted to go younger in their secondary and decided not to offer Claiborne another contract.
“I enjoyed it,” Claiborne said on his time with the Jets. “I felt like I had two solid years of playing, going out starting, being the No. 1 corner. … I feel like the two years I was there, my stats were career highs in both years there.”
He’s not wrong. Claiborne set career highs in interceptions, pass breakups and total tackles during the 2018 season and he finished his Jets tenure with 100 combined tackle, three interceptions and 22 pass breakups in 30 games. After watching Johnson and Roberts struggle throughout the season, Adam Gase and Joe Douglas probably wish they retained Claiborne for just another year.
Claiborne’s time in Kansas City got off to a rocky start. The Chiefs signed Claiborne to a one-year, $1.5 million contract on August 8, but he was suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the league’s substance-abuse policy and only played in a handful of games after being activated on October 3. He played in eight games, averaged 24.75 snaps per game and finished with 14 total tackles this season. Though he missed both of the Chiefs’ playoff games with a shoulder injury there’s a chance he suits up for the Super Bowl.
“It’s awesome,” Claiborne said about playing for a Super Bowl. “It makes everything worth it. When I look at all of these cuts on my knees and shoulders, this is what it was all for.”
Clairborne came with a ton of injury concerns after only playing half of his total games between 2013-2016. He shook off those concerns during his two years in New York, though, and appeared healthy in Kansas City until his most recent shoulder injury. Clairborne could get another shot with the Chiefs or another team next season, but he’ll turn 30 a few days after the Super Bowl and didn’t prove to be a huge contributor in 2019. If he doesn’t get another contract this offseason, there’s a chance the former first-round pick would retire.