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There’s talk that the Las Vegas Raiders are going to make a change at quarterback but they may want to be careful what they wish for. There are a number of teams in the NFL that would love to have their quarterback situation. Derek Carr isn’t having a big year and the Raiders have been disappointing but it’s difficult to argue against the notion that he’s one of the 15 best quarterbacks in the league right now.
The New York Jets have lost four in a row and may miss out on the playoffs after a strong start to the season. Perhaps the biggest reason for that has been quarterback play. They have the fifth-best scoring defense in the NFL but they have the ninth-worst scoring offense. The team was scoring points when Mike White was playing quarterback but he’s been hurt. With Zach Wilson playing, the offense has been dreadful.
The Jets aren’t likely to go anywhere this season but they have a lot to be excited for. They have a talented young roster and an elite defense. It also appears that Robert Saleh was a good choice of head coach. They just need a quarterback. White could be the guy but he has durability issues and the sample size is too small for the Jets to know for sure that he can lead the team.
Following New York’s three-point performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, there were a few analysts who would like to see Carr head East. Pro Football Focus’ Marcus Mosher believes that the quarterback is the perfect fit for the Jets.
Longtime Jets insider Connor Hughes believes Carr is a player to watch for New York this offseason.
Players to watch at QB for the #Jets in 2023
– Derek Carr
– Jimmy Garoppolo
– Daniel Jones
– Lamar Jackson (likely a pipe dream)
Spotrac went a step further and believes that the Jets should be sending Carr a playbook right now and postdate it for March of next year.
Somewhere there’s a #Jets offensive playbook in an envelope addressed to Derek Carr postdated for March 15th, 2023.
Will Carr to the Jets Actually Happen?
With the Jets spiraling, the Raiders have to be feeling better about their playoff chances. It’s still a long shot but the season isn’t over for Las Vegas right now. If they make the playoffs, all of this speculation is pointless as it’s hard to imagine they’d move on from Carr. Now, if the season continues to disappoint, the chances of the Raiders making a change at quarterback are much higher.
That would open up the door for the Jets to make a move. General manager Dave Ziegler may prefer to trade Carr to an NFC team like the Washington Commanders or Tampa Bay Buccaneers but the quarterback does have a say. He has a no-trade clause in his contract. If he wants to go to New York, he can make that known. There’s still a lot that needs to happen for this scenario to come to fruition but it’s something to keep a close eye on in the coming weeks.
Carr in the Cold
Saturday’s game against the Steelers could be a good audition for Carr if there are cold-weather teams interested. It has been well-documented that he struggles in cold weather. He is 0-6 when it’s 37 degrees or less at kickoff. The weather is forecasted to be 10 degrees when the Raiders face the Steelers. If Carr looks bad, that might scare off a team like the Jets from spending too much to get him. For his part, the quarterback isn’t worried about the weather despite the narrative.
“It is what it is,” Carr said Wednesday. “Anytime I’ve ever gone into one of these games, usually if it’s raining or stuff like that, you can prepare. But just cold, 90 percent of it’s mentality or probably more. You just set your mind because you know they’re playing in it, you’re playing in it. At the end of the day, you have to execute at a high level. And so for us, it’s all about the execution of the football plays.
“I’ve learned through my career to do certain things to where it is just football, to where I don’t have to do anything different, the team, we don’t have to do anything different, you can just play football.”
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AFC Contender Called on to Pursue Raiders QB Derek Carr