Qwantez Stiggers interception atoned for his Jets gaffe and helped case for depth role

Text with Brian Costello all season as he brings Sports+ subscribers the latest Jets intel from on the field and off.Qwan’tez Stiggers might never find an easier interception.But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t particularly well timed.Starting at cornerback for the Jets in place of the injured Sauce Gardner, Stiggers atoned Saturday for getting beat on an 80-yard reception when he tracked a second moon ball from Russell Wilson like he was the Giants receiver running the route (instead of Beaux Collins) and made an end zone interception.“We were in man [coverage], and he did an inside release, and I just stayed on his top shoulder and looked back,” Stiggers told The Post after the game.

“I heard the crowd say, ‘Oooh,’ when I caught the ball.I saw the ball out of my periphery and was like, ‘That’s mine.’ ”Stiggers has a chance to stake a similar ownership claim to a spot on the depth chart as the top backup to Gardner (calf soreness) and training camp star Brandon Stephens on the outside.

Rookie third-round pick Azareye’h Thomas (shoulder) hasn’t played in either of the first two preseason games.“It was a great opportunity for me to be able to display my talent and kind of solidify myself in this league and for this team,” Stiggers said.“I’m really excited for this year.”Head coach Aaron Glenn talks frequently about responding the right way to adversity.

Stiggers, who played the whole first half and two series more than other starters, couldn’t stay with Collins on a slow-developing moon ball that would’ve gone for a touchdown if Andre Cisco hadn’t made a tackle at the 1-yard line.“Something to fix, nothing major,” Stiggers said.“It’s part of the game.

We’ve got the hardest job in the world.[Cornerbacks] do everything backwards and forwards.

Plays are going to happen.We just have to eliminate the explosives.”Stiggers was a 2024 fifth-round draft pick who didn’t play a snap of major college football before...