Former Raiders QB Derek Carr to meet with Jets as team searches for veteran QB
The New York Jets are in the market for a quarterback. Owner Woody Johnson told ESPN last week that the team’s priority is bringing in a veteran, and Derek Carr could be a fit.
This weekend, both parties will reportedly take time to evaluate that option. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafalo, Carr is headed to New York this weekend for the second stop of his free-agency tour.
According to Ian Rapoport, Carr is “high on the Jets’ list” this offseason. The quarterback also reportedly visited the New Orleans Saints a week prior to his release from the Las Vegas Raiders after nine seasons.
The Jets' urgency comes after a less than ideal second season from 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson, riddled with poor play and questions about his leadership. With a top-five defense and the NFL's offensive and defensive Rookies of the Year in Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, the Jets have great pieces. With the right quarterback, the playoff berth they missed this season after a six-game losing streak seems within reach.
The Jets' quarterback search is unique, as recent New York hires tie the team to multiple free agents this offseason. Former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing, now the Jets' passing game coordinator, knows Ryan Tannehill after spending four seasons on Mike Vrabel's staff. He was fired in January after Tennessee missed the playoffs. Downing also spent three seasons (2015-17) on the Oakland Raiders staff working with Carr as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
Former Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett recently joined the Jets as offensive coordinator. Before his single season in Denver, he worked three seasons coaching Aaron Rodgers as the Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator. The Jets have reportedly reached out to the Packers about Rodgers' availability.
While Rodgers mulls his future with the Green Bay Packers in complete darkness, the Jets will have to consider whether it would be worth sacrificing draft picks to acquire him. With Carr no longer under contract, the Jets wouldn't need to make the same trade considerations.
