Azzari Thomas is ‘ready’ for Jets moment

When Jets rookie cornerback Azareye’h Thomas talked to his brother and Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas throughout his senior season, Juanyeh’s message was always about continuing to stay ready. Continue preparing like the beginning.

Gowaniya, now in his third year, also served as a reserve player. And when Dallas safety Malik Hooker was placed on injured reserve before Week 5, he made his first start of the season at MetLife Stadium.

So Thomas continued to approach Jets games the same way. The third-round pick in April’s draft has faced little opportunity to contribute throughout the opening stretch of games, but with star cornerback Suce Gardner (concussion) ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Bengals, Thomas will make his first career start — and it An uphill challenge against Cincinnati stars receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — and become tangible proof that his brother’s message is paying off.

Thomas didn’t hesitate on Friday. He’s been prepared for this since rookie minicamp, since his early days at the Gang Green facility, and “these are the games you live to play.”

The stakes for the Jets — winless through seven games, and already mounting less than half a season into new coach Aaron Glenn’s tenure — are relatively low, but Thomas faced a fleeting window of opportunity to make his first real impression with his mother and sister in attendance.

“When I was younger, I used to try to look too far away and things like that, and feel like you give yourself anxiety and things like that,” Thomas told The Post about what his first shot might look like as a rookie. “So I’m really trying to stay in the moment and get better at my craft in that moment, and when that (first shot) comes I’ll definitely take it all in.”

After Gardner was out on Sunday, Thomas took 27 snaps and showed off his potential and the growing pains of being a rookie. With just under five minutes remaining, Thomas twisted and broke up a pass intended for Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan that would have resulted in the first down.

But minutes later, in another third, Thomas was burned by Xavier Leggett down the sideline on a 33-yard completion to seal the game.

“That’s the life of a cornerback,” Glenn said. “Those things happen,” he added. But Glenn described Thomas as someone who will be “a key component to what we do as he continues his playing years.”

It may be difficult for him to fill a consistent role in the secondary with Gardner (through 2030) and Brandon Stevens (through 2027), both of whom are under contract for the future. But Thomas impressed at Florida State, recording 95 combined tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 15 passes defended over three seasons.

After his first season with the Seminoles, Thomas began focusing on the mental aspect of playing the position, and that helped in his adjustment to the NFL — where details and little things matter, he said. He began asking Gardner and Stevens how they watched film, and Thomas realized he couldn’t escape hand-to-hand combat on the field as an NFL defensive back.

It forced him to change his style, to work at his craft more. He’s a tall player at 6-foot-1, and when someone’s a tall player, “(refs) kind of focus on that because the refs are watching film, too,” Thomas said.

There were moments throughout the first seven games where Thomas contributed defensively. When Gardner went out with an injury in Week 3, Thomas recorded 10 snaps and broke up the first pass of his career. He was also on the field for 43 percent of the special teams snaps, and for at least one week, until Gardner is out of concussion protocol and back, Thomas will get a chance to step into an expanded role.

“It’s obviously a great opportunity for him,” Stevens told The Post. “He was thrown into the fire against two of the best receivers in this game.”

When Thomas found out he was starting, his first call was to his mother, Stephanie Thomas. She’s someone who has shaped his competitiveness, the kind that makes competing against Chase and Higgins — who signed contracts worth a combined $276 million this offseason and produced six combined 1,000-yard seasons — seem exciting instead of intimidating.

Thomas said he wants to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches this weekend, and if he ends up having a productive NFL career, Sunday could be the first major step toward that point.

“I’m ready,” Thomas said. “I’ve been preparing. And now the two meet.”