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The New York Jets appear to getting closer to finding their next quarterback.
Gang Green will end up signing veteran quarterback Derek Carr to a long-term deal in free agency, according to a “crazy” February 22 prediction by CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani.
“Adding a quarterback who can just be a consistent presence under center would make New York better immediately. Carr isn’t high on my QB power rankings, but I really think the Jets could be contenders if they upgrade at the most important position,” Dajani wrote.
The Jets hosted Carr for a visit over the third weekend of February, and the meeting was viewed as a positive one, according to his brother, former NFL quarterback David Carr, and to ESPN.
Pundits Project Derek Carr’s Next Contract Value
Whoever does sign Carr, who will turn 32 next month, will likely give him a three-year, $114 million deal, according to projections by Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti. That would average out to $38 million per season, making him the No. 9 highest-paid quarterback in football, per Over The Cap.
However, Carr is seeking a long-term contract worth $35 million, ESPN’s Dianna Russini said during her February 23 appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up.” That salary would still keep him inside the top 10 highest paid at the position.
Additionally, Russini said, Carr and his representation don’t feel as though he needs to be the first quarterback domino to topple this offseason. They’d like to see how some of the chips fall “over the next few weeks” before making a final determination on whom to sign with next year, she said.
In theory, if a player of Aaron Rodgers’ magnitude makes a decision about where he’ll play next season, teams would then have clarity about whether to pursue, who is generally believed to be one of the better free agent quarterbacks who is also looking for a new team.
Jets Are the Ideal Landing Spot for a Talented QB
This has been one of the crazier offseasons in recent Jets’ memory. From week to week, the green and white have been linked to seemingly every quarterback on the market. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus recently joined Eric Allen on the official Jets podcast to explain why that is.
“The Jets are, to me, the best situation out there for a quarterback who wants to step into a team that can win tomorrow. If you’re whoever it is [at quarterback] and you’re saying, ‘Who can get me a Super Bowl before I hang them up?’ The Jets are that team,” Monson said on February 23. “I mean, they should have made the playoffs this year despite the quarterback situation that they did have. The upgrade from anybody that was throwing the ball this year to an Aaron Rodgers would be massive.”
One former NFL star warned, however, that there could be a “sticking point” with a Carr-Jets union, and that is the presence of third-year quarterback Zach Wilson on the Jets’ roster.
“I’m not sure, but it could be a sticking point for Derek Carr,” Boomer Esiason said on the February 22 episode of WFAN’s “Boomer and Gio.” “I don’t want to put words into Derek Carr’s mouth, but he certainly wanted to know what the idea and the future was for Zach Wilson. Like he should. He should go through everything that is on his mind and want answers to all these different questions.”
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