Michael Carter

PRO: The Titans signed Michael Carter during the 2026 offseason to add depth to the team's running back corps. The 5-foot-8-inch, 201-pounder comes to Tennessee with 61 games of NFL playing experience during five NFL seasons. Since being a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets in 2021, Carter has started 27 games and logged 1,692 rushing yards with nine rushing scores on 418 attempts. After spending the first three campaigns of his career with the Jets, Carter joined the Arizona Cardinals after being claimed off waivers by the team during the 2023 season.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 
• As a rookie in 2021, Carter appeared in 14 games with 11 starts at running back. Despite missing Weeks 12-14 on injured reserve, Carter led the team with 639 rushing yards with four touchdowns on the ground. He added 325 receiving yards on 36 catches, becoming one of two rookies since 2015 to be selected in the fourth round or later and amass 600 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards in their first year.
• Carter finished his collegiate career with the fourth-most rushing yards in North Carolina program history (3,404). He and teammate Javonte Williams were both named to the Pro Football Focus All-America first team in 2020.

TITANS TIDBITS: 
• Carter was born in Japan, where his father, Tony, played in the X-League. He moved to Navarre, Fla., soon after where he would attened Navarre High School.
• During his time in New York, Carter presented a Brooklyn high school with a donation of $100,000 for new uniforms and equipment. Carter also participated in the Play 60 Flag Football Program, joining Jets teammates in helping run the football camp involving several New York-area middle schools.
• As a senior captain at North Carolina in 2020, head coach Mack Brown said Carter was the first player he called to help lead the team in the wake of George Floyd's killing and social unrest in the nation. The conversations Carter helped spark laid the foundation for how the team communicated on social injustice during that time. "To be a person that people can come to or that has the ability to influence positively is a big deal to me because it means my peers respect me," Carter told Tarheel Illustrated in 2020.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS: 
• The Navarre, Fla., native was selected by the N.Y. Jets in the fourth round (107th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
• Waived by the Jets on Nov. 14, 2023.
• Claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 15, 2023.
• Released by the Cardinals on Aug. 27, 2024 and signed to the team's practice squad the next day.
• Activated from the practice squad to the Cardinals' active roster via standard elevation on Dec. 21, 2024.
• Activated from the practice squad to the Cardinals' active roster via standard elevation on Dec. 28, 2024.
• Signed to the Cardinals' active roster from the team's practice squad on Jan. 1, 2025.
• Released by the Cardinals on Aug. 26, 2025 and signed to the team's practice squad the next day.
• Activated from the practice squad to the Cardinals' active roster via standard elevation on Sept. 25, 2025.
• Signed to the Cardinals' active roster from the team's practice squad on Sept. 29, 2025.
• Released by the Cardinals on Oct. 27, 2025 signed to the team's practice squad the next day.
• Activated from the practice squad to the Cardinals' active roster via standard elevation on Nov. 3, 2025.
• Signed to the Cardinals' active roster from the team's practice squad on Nov. 8, 2025.
• Signed by the Titans as an unrestricted free agent on April 1, 2026.

SEASON RECAPS:

2025 (13/5 - Arizona):  Appeared in 13 games with five starts at running back for the Cardinals. Led the team with 92 rushing attempts and 333 rushing yards. Also finished fourth on the team with 33 receptions for 267 yards. Recorded his third career season with at least 600 scrimmage yards. 
Spent the first three contests of the season on the team's practice squad. Did not play in one contest.
• Against Tennessee (10/6), made his first start of the season, contributing 51 yards on 18 rushing attempts, including a one-yard touchdown run. Added 22 receiving yards on five receptions.
• At Tampa Bay (11/30), finished third on the team with 47 receiving yards on five catches out of the backfield. Also notched 17 rushing yards on five attempts.
• At Houston (12/14), led the team with 56 rushing yards on 14 carries. Ranked third on the team with 38 receiving yards on four catches, including a 14-yard reception.
• Against Atlanta (12/21), carried 11 times for a team-high and season-best 65 rushing yards.

2024 (3/1 - Arizona):  Played in the final three games of the season with one start in the season finale against San Francisco. Recorded 131 rushing yards with a touchdown on 35 attempts. Added 11 receptions for 57 yards.  Spent the first 14 games of the season on the Cardinals' practice squad.  
• At L.A. Rams (12/28), led the team with 70 rushing yards on 13 carries. Also ranked fourth of the team with 22 receiving yards on four receptions.

2023 (9/0 - N.Y. Jets, 6/0 - Arizona):  Appeared as a reserve in nine games with the Jets before being waived by the team on Nov. 14. Claimed off waivers by the Cardinals the next day and appeared as a reserve in the final six games of the season. Totaled 187 rushing yards on 30 attempts and 101 receiving yards with one receiving score. Was inactive for one game (11/19).
• At Philadelphia (12/31), finished second on the team with 61 yards on seven attempts. Added his first career touchdown reception, a six-yard catch.

2022 (16/10 - N.Y. Jets): Played in a career-high 16 games with 10 starts, amassing 402 rushing yards on 114 carries with three rushing touchdowns.  Added 288 receiving yards on 41 catches out of the backfield. Registered three games with at least 40 receiving yards (vs. BAL, at DEN, vs. JAX).
• Against Baltimore (9/11), recorded 100 scrimmage yards in the season opener against the Ravens. Tallied 60 rushing yards on 10 carries and 40 receiving yards on seven catches.
• Against Miami (10/9), notched his first career multi-touchdown game with two rushing scores to go with 21 rushing yards in a Jets win.
• At Denver (10/23), totaled 74 scrimmage yards (29 rushing, 45 receiving) including a career-long 37-yard reception.
• Against Buffalo (11/6), logged a season-high 76 rushing yards on 12 carries to go along with a touchdown on the ground.
• Against Jacksonville (12/22), recorded 44 receiving yards on five catches.

2021 (14/11 - N.Y. Jets):  Started a career-high 11 games at running back as a rookie. With 14 games played, led the team with 639 yards and four touchdowns on 147 attempts. Added 325 receptions on 36 receptions to total 964 scrimmage yards. His 5.3-yards-per-touch were the second-best among all NFL rookie running backs with at least 100 touches in 2022. Did not play in three games. Made his NFL debut at Carolina on Sept. 12. 
• At Carolina (9/12), made his NFL debut. Recorded six rushing yards on four attempts with a 14-yard reception.
• Against New England (9/19), tallied 59 rushing yards on 11 carries and two receptions for 29 receiving yards.
• At Tennessee (10/3), scored his first NFL touchdown, a two-yard carry. Recorded 38 rushing yards on 13 carries in the Jets win.
• Against Cincinatti (10/31), totaled a career-high 172 scrimmage yards including 77 receiving yards and a career-best 95 receiving yards. Marked the second-highest single-game receiving total of any rookie running back in 2021.
• Against Miami (11/21), recorded 63 rushing yards on nine attempts, including a 39-yard rush in the first quarter.
• Against Jacksonville (12/26), carried 16 times for a career-best 118 rushing yards. Became the second youngest player in Jets history with a 100-yard rushing game.
• Against Tampa Bay, recorded 54 rushing yards, including a career-long 55-yard carry in the first quarter.

COLLEGE: 
• In four seasons at North Carolina (2017-20), rushed 514 times for 3,404 yards, the fourth-highest career total in school history at the time of his departure. Added 656 receiving yards on 82 receptions with 28 total touchdowns (22 rushing, six receiving). His 6.6-rushing yard average was the highest in school history (mininmum 50 carries).
• As a senior (2020), started all 11 games at running back and was voted team captain. Was a Paul Hornung Award Finalist, Pro Football Focus All-America first team selection, Associated Press All-America third team selection, All-ACC first team selection and All-ACC All-Purpose third team selection. Carried 156 times for 1,245 rushing yards with nine touchdowns. Notched 25 receptions for 267 receiving yards and two scores through the air. Led the conference with 113.2 rushing yards per game and 8.0 yards per game (UNC program record). His 151.6 all-purpose yard-per-game average was second in the conference. Led the nation with 18 rushes of 20-plus yards. Rushed for a career-high 308 yards on 24 carries at Miami (Fla.), the second-highest game total in school history and the fourth-most of any ACC player in a game.
• As a junior (2019), appreared in 13 games with 12 starts. Recorded a career-high 177 rushing attempts for a team-leading 1,003 yards with three touchdowns. Added 25 receptions for 267 yards with two receiving touchdowns. Contributed on special teams returning 19 kicks for 466 yards. Named All-ACC third team at running back and All-ACC honorable mention at all-purpose. His 1,623 all-purpose yards ranked fourth in the conference.
• As a sophomore (2018), appeared in nine games with three starts at running back. Logged 84 rushes for 597 yards with two rushing touchdowns. Added 25 receptions for 135 yards with a touchdown. Notched two 100-yard rushing performances against Virginia Tech (165 yards) and at Duke (148 yards).
• As a true freshman (2015), appeared in 11 games with two starts at running back. Carried the ball 97 times for 559 rushing yards with a team-leading eight touchdowns on the ground. Added 100 receiving yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions. Made his first career start and finished with 157 rushing yards on 13 carries against Virginia.
• Graduated with a degree in exercise science from North Carolina.

PERSONAL: 
• Attended Navarre (Fla.) High School, where he played running back and was named USA Today Florida Offensive Player of the Year and 6A Mr. Foorball by the Florida Dairy Farmers Association.
• As a senior (2014), totaled 3,345 all-purpose yards, including 2,536 rushing yards with 45 touchdowns. Against rival American Heritage, rushed for 331 yards, recorded 179 return yards with seven total touchdowns. That season, helped Navarre to a 12-2 record and a berth in the state semifinals.
• As a junior (2013), rushed for 526 rushing yards and nine touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury.
• Son of Suzette Ellington and Tony Carter.
• Follow Carter on Instagram at @mikecarter.
• Born Michael Carter on May 7, 1999 in Okinawa, Japan.