As most of the NFL world descends upon Indianapolis this week for the Combine, the Jets are still trying to figure out which veteran quarterback will lead their team next season. Aaron Rodgers is out of the darkness, but we’re still in it because there’s been no update on his decision. Meanwhile, the Derek Carr sweepstakes have ratcheted up a couple of notches since his most recent free-agent visit.
Before getting released by the Las Vegas Raiders, Carr visited with the New Orleans Saints. While he vetoed a trade to that destination, he’s still interested in suiting up for them. His second visit was to New York to chat with the Jets, which apparently went very well. We haven’t caught wind of any other visits made by Carr. However, it sounds like other teams are starting to throw their proverbial hat in the ring.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington and Jeremy Fowler reported that three other NFL teams have reached out to Carr to express interest in his services. As things start to heat up a little bit, we’re also getting a glimpse of what the signal-caller could be looking for from a salary perspective in his next contract. Dianna Russini of ESPN is reporting that Carr is looking for at least $35 million in annual average salary.
Considering the fact that the Giants are apparently dealing with Daniel Jones’ camp asking for $45 million per year, this sounds like a steal for a durable quarterback and proven commodity in the NFL.
We can imagine the Jets already had an idea of this number after Carr visited the facility. It’s good to know, especially since we should find out soon exactly what Rodgers wants to do. There’s nothing wrong with New York waiting around to see if the Green Bay Packers quarterback will be available. However, it’ll also be interesting to see how different the price tags will be between these two options.
Remember, the Jets have to clear some salary to get themselves under the cap. If New York swings a trade for Rodgers, the organization will likely have to give up multiple draft picks while also acquiring a player with nearly $60 million guaranteed to him in 2023. Unless he reworks his deal before the season starts, which he’s reportedly open to doing.
New York thinks having a solid quarterback is the “missing piece” to getting over the hump. The Jets don’t need to be looking for discounts, but if the Rodgers situation doesn’t work out? Getting a “Hall-of-Fame-worthy” quarterback for that money while keeping draft picks may feel like a steal to them.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
