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Marcus Maye on Jets Releasing Bless Austin: 'I Didn't See it Coming at All'

New York Jets safety Marcus Maye says he was surprised to hear that the Jets released cornerback Bless Austin, making this inexperienced secondary even younger

Max Goodman

Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images // Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Jets fans weren't alone in feeling surprised when Bless Austin was released on Wednesday.

New York's safety Marcus Maye, the veteran leader of this secondary, was also caught off guard when he heard the news.

"It was surprising for me," Maye told reporters on Thursday. "I didn't see it coming at all. I don't think anybody did."

Austin was set to enter his third season with the Jets, poised to play a key role in the Jets' young cornerback room. Instead, after reportedly trying to trade the corner, the organization simply sent him packing.

"It's tough," Maye explained. "I mean, he's been a starter for us for the past two years. So I guess we just got to figure out what's next now."

What's next is a youth movement among the defensive backs in green and white, a complete reliance on a unit that has barely any experience (if any at all). 

Asked if that puts any additional pressure on Maye, who patrols center field behind them, Maye said he's accustomed to playing with young defenders next to him in the secondary.

"Pretty much used to it at this point," Maye added. "Just got to continue to get better with communication with the young guys, help get those guys caught up to speed, keep them on their toes and give them heads up."

Head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas walked through the move to part ways with Austin earlier in the week, calling it a result of a numbers game, wanting to give their young players more of a chance to play and develop.

"Instead of asking Bless to take a reduced role, we’re going to give these young guys an opportunity and out of respect to [Austin], give him an opportunity to find a larger role with another team," Douglas said. "Very difficult decision because Bless is a standup guy and a hell of a competitor."

As for Maye's opinion on the group left behind with Austin out of the picture, the safety is impressed and eager to continue to work leading up to the regular season opener one week from Sunday.

"They're not scared at all. They all want to learn, they all have the passion for it, each day they come out, get better and better," Maye said. "You can see them stacking their days. So I'm excited for them. They all can fly around, they all can come up and make tackles when they need to. So it'll be interesting to see all those guys get a shot."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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