Other athletes might be of a mind to deflect, ignore or otherwise overlook a media question about an off-putting oh-fer.
That's not Brandon Stephens' way. The Jets cornerback took the latest queries about the defense's record-setting zero interceptions last season head-on when he was asked after Wednesday's OTA practice about the addition to the CB depth chart of unrestricted free agent Nahshon Wright.
"He had five picks last year," Stephens said of Wright, who had his breakout season as a Bear. "The elephant in the room is we didn't have any last year, so that's a focal point going into this season. He's an incredible player with great instincts, which you need on the outside, as a corner group specifically. He's a great addition to our defense."
Is Stephens still processing the no picks for 2025 five months later in the middle of offseason preparation for the season ahead? Others, mentioned above, might see such a question as overkill. But Stephens was on top of it.
"It's hard to believe that could happen. but it happened," he said. "At the end of the season, you keep it in the back of your mind, but you flush it so it doesn't happen again. All the guys are taking it personally because it's part of our nature."
It's also part of Stephens' nature because he's one of those players that HC Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey sought out in their first year on the job. He has an enduring obsession with the game he plays for a living.
Asked what his first season in green and white taught him, he didn't flinch:
"Honestly, how much I actually love ball. It's so easy to be on a winning team and love ball when you're winning. But do you love it when things aren't going your way? I just enjoyed coming to work every day with the guys. And I wouldn't expect that to change this year."