Derek Carr to visit with the Jets this weekend, source confirms
Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium on January 9, 2022. Credit: Getty Images/Ethan Miller
The Jets will meet with former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr this weekend, a league source confirmed.
Carr, 31, became a free agent when Las Vegas released him on Tuesday before $40 million of his contract became guaranteed. He will visit with Jets officials at their practice facility in Florham Park, New Jersey.
The Raiders had hoped to trade Carr and reportedly had the framework of a deal in place with New Orleans. Carr wanted to become a free agent and test the open market, however, and would not waive his no-trade clause.
It’s no secret that the Jets are looking for a veteran quarterback. Owner Woody Johnson and coach Robert Saleh have publicly stated that they will do everything they can to bring in someone who can move this team forward.
Johnson said he “absolutely” would spend big money for a quarterback, calling it “the missing piece” for a team that failed to make the playoffs for the 12th consecutive year.
The Jets, who had a top 5 defense, got off to a 7-4 start and lost their final six games. In five of those games, they didn’t have a quarterback throw a touchdown pass.
Zach Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, was benched twice during a season in which he regressed and doesn’t appear to be the Jets’ long-term answer at quarterback anymore. They hope Wilson will be able to learn and develop from whichever veteran they bring in.
Carr, a second-round pick of the Raiders in 2014, has started all 142 NFL games in which he played. He has missed only four games, two of them at the end of this past season, when the Raiders benched him. The four-time Pro Bowler has thrown 217 touchdown passes and 99 interceptions.
The Jets do have a link to Carr. Todd Downing, hired as their passing game coordinator this week, spent two seasons as the Raiders’ quarterbacks coach and one as their offensive coordinator from 2015-17. Carr made the Pro Bowl all three years and was an MVP candidate in 2017.
The Saints are said to still have interest in Carr, who met with New Orleans before his release. Other teams, including Carolina, also could be in the mix.
The Jets are expected to pursue Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers if he becomes available. Rodgers currently is on a four-day darkness retreat. He has said that when he emerges, he will make a decision about his future.
Rodgers hasn’t committed to playing in 2023. If he does, he could choose to stay with Green Bay. The Jets recently hired former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to serve in the same role, and Hackett and Rodgers remain close. Still, the Jets can’t necessarily wait for Rodgers and potentially miss out on another quarterback who is high on their list.
The NFL Network was first to report the Carr visit.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
More Jets
