Derek Carr is seen as one of the top available quarterbacks in the free agent class this year and the Jets are not wasting any time in trying to figure out if he could be the player to turn the franchise’s fortune around.
According to Jeff Darlington of ESPN, Carr’s visit to New York was “very positive.” The team sees the potential addition of the former Raiders quarterback as the type of player to lead the team to a championship.
While the Jets have consistently said that they are looking for a top veteran quarterback to upgrade the position, Carr’s recent visit creates a quandary that New York has yet to solve at this point in the early stages of the offseason.
“They feel like he’s (Carr) a great player. The team is still intrigued at the thought of having Aaron Rodgers. They (the Jets) face a real interesting predicament. Do you go hard on Derek Carr or do you wait this thing out a little bit?” Darlington said on ESPN’s morning show, Get-Up.
Rodgers is currently partaking in his darkness retreat and will look to make a decision regarding his future afterward.
Carr is certainly a younger (31 years old to 39 years old), and potentially cheaper option than Rodgers for the Jets to potentially pursue. There is also the idea that should the Jets go after Carr, there won’t be any draft compensation that they would need to give away for a pro-bowl quarterback. That’s different than with Aaron Rodgers who is still under contract with the Green Bay Packers.
New York also will be in a bidding war for both quarterbacks. Derek Carr previously visited with the New Orleans Saints before he was released by Las Vegas. Other teams like the Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons are also considered to be interested in upgrading the quarterback position.
Gang Green has cap flexibility to be able to afford either Rodgers or Carr. It really will end up coming down to which signal-caller wants to be in New York, and which one doesn’t.
The Jets know they need an upgrade at quarterback but while the world waits on Aaron Rodgers to come out of the darkness, the latest quandary hits New York in whether they should move their sights to a younger, and still-talented quarterback.
