Jets nickel Michael Carter II returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since he injured his ankle in late July. While his status for the Week 1 game at San Francisco on Sept. 9 remains unclear, Carter II took part in individual and team drills on a limited basis.

"I have been working really hard to be back because it is tough not to be out there with those guys," Carter II said on Tuesday. "But even to get out there today, it felt really good to be communicating and working things out with my teammates again."

A little less than a month ago, Carter, 25, limped off the field after getting his right leg tangled and bent awkwardly during team drills. HC Robert Saleh told reporters before their preseason finale against the Giants last Thursday that the team planned to get Carter back in practice this week in the hope he's ready for the season opener.

While out for more than three weeks, Carter, beginning his fourth NFL season, turned his efforts toward getting mental reps, while doing some coaching on the side. During drills, he spent time shadowing the veterans and teaching the younger defensive backs the tricks and keys to playing nickel, in the event he is sidelined at some point during the regular season.

"I went into this year really wanting to be more vocal and a better leader," Carter said. "Then after the injury, I think it helped me even more to try and do that. I got to be another coach out there for the guys and really share what I know to guys who might not have played very much in this system and push them along during the preseason."

Carter, coming off the best season of his pro career in which he received one vote for first team All-Pro and two for the second team, identified rookie Qwan'tez Stiggers, the Canadian Football League's Most Outstanding Rookie last season, and Brandin Echols, beginning his fourth pro season, as good fits to play his position.

Echols played 112 snaps in the slot last season and has been a viable option behind Carter. While in training camp, Carter was impressed by Stiggers' instincts and thought he showed promise.

"We saw it last year that Brandon [Echols] can play both inside and outside at a high level," Carter said. "And then Stigs [Stiggers] is learning and coming along really well. Those guys will be super-valuable assets for us this season. They are playing well, and I think both guys will make sure there is no drop off if someone goes down. I feel really good about the depth there."

The Jets will still need Carter and the rest of the defense all the help they can get, as they gear up for a Week 1 clash with the defending NFC champion 49ers on "Monday Night Football."

San Francisco boasts a loaded skill group led by Pro Bowl WR Deebo Samuel. Having yet to matchup in the pros, Carter is looking forward to dueling with the versatile Samuel in the slot and the run game.

"He [Samuel] is strong, savvy and runs good routes," Carter said. "The chemistry between him and [QB Brock] Purdy is great, they have each other on a strong and are so locked in. They have a great connection that you can see on tape. … They love to use him in tons of different ways including running the ball, so we will definitely need to get a handle on him."