Jets game against Cardinals is extra special for veteran player

A little ways past State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, sits the town of Goodyear, where Jets cornerback Isaiah Oliver grew up.

For the veteran, Sunday's game against the Cardinals will be a homecoming.

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"I'm excited for it, for sure," Oliver told NJ Advance Media. "Just being able to play in front of family is always cool, so then doing it at home is even cooler."

In high school in Arizona, Oliver attended Brophy College Preparatory, a well-known school in the middle of downtown Phoenix. He later attended Colorado from 2015-2017 before he was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2018 draft.

Oliver spent five years Atlanta, three of which he spent playing under current Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich while Ulbrich was serving as Falcons defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Oliver spent the 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers, where he mainly played nickel.

When Oliver does take the field in front of 20-25 of his family and friends — including his sister's new baby — on Sunday, he'll do so in an increased role with the Jets. His snap count has increased since Michael Carter II exited the Jets' Week 5 loss to the Vikings in London. In Thursday's win over the Texans, he played 71 snaps.

And even though they lived right by State Farm Stadium, neither Oliver nor his immediate family were ever big Cardinals fans. Those who are Arizona fans make jokes to him, but will still go support the cornerback as he and the 3-6 Jets look to nab a second straight win.

"It's always fun to be able to go back you're from and play in front of them," Oliver said.

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