Getty Free agent quarterback Derek Carr visited with the New York Jets this weekend.
Free agent quarterback Derek Carr has officially visited with the New York Jets and according to his older brother David Carr, he “had a great trip.”
A former number one overall pick and professional QB in his own right, David Carr now does appearances on NFL Network as an analyst. Given this weekend’s news, it’s only fitting that NFL Total Access brought in David to discuss his brother’s in-person meeting with Jets head coach Robert Saleh and the rest of the organization on February 20 — and he revealed some inside info straight from the horse’s mouth.
Free Agent Derek Carr visited the Jets over the weekend 👀 (via @NFLTotalAccess)
“So, he went there to get a feel for how they work from the top down,” David Carr explained. “We knew he would love Robert Saleh — I’ve known Robert for a while, MJ [Acosta-Ruiz] knows Robert — he’s fantastic and they hit it off, and they would love to work together, but there’s a lot of questions that have to be asked.”
David Carr continued: “He has to find out how the inner workings of, obviously, the front office works, but then also, I think the most important thing for him as a veteran quarterback [is] what is it going to be like as an offensive play-caller and a quarterback and that relationship? Todd Downing is there, [Derek] has a relationship with Todd. Nathaniel Hackett is also there, so how does all [of] that work? And they had a good chat. They talked about a lot of different things, and obviously the team is just in need of a quarterback — just some stability there — they have a lot of good components [beyond that]. There’s a lot of things that are very positive about the Jets.”
“He had a great trip,” David Carr finally reiterated, before adding that “it’s going to be a long process” and Derek Carr is going to “do his due diligence” before deciding on a new franchise.
Connor Hughes Adds Context on Derek Carr Visit From Jets Perspective
SNY’s Connor Hughes also spoke on the Derek Carr visit on February 20, noting that “it went great for both sides.”
“For Derek Carr, he got a chance to meet with the Jets coaching staff, the Jets front office, Jets ownership,” Hughes went on. “He really hit it off with all of those guys. From the Jets side of things, they were able to meet and really get to know Derek Carr and those concerns that were around about how his personality might mesh in New York — he completely, Derek Carr, erased all of those [doubts]. The Jets have absolutely no concerns with that whatsoever right now.”
Hughes also informed that Derek Carr is expected to field “a couple more” team visits before making a decision — which is in line with what David Carr told viewers. Because of all this, the SNY reporter put the former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback’s timeline for signing “within the next couple of weeks.”
“Carr wants to have his deal done before the start of free agency,” Hughes relayed, “so that he can help bring in and help kind of play the bargainer to bring other people with him to the team that he ends up choosing.”
Derek Carr Timeline Could Allow Jets to Wait Out Aaron Rodgers Decision
This is all the dream scenario for general manager Joe Douglas and the Jets. Not only does Derek Carr appear to display a strong willingness to sign on as the starting quarterback in New York, but he’s also carrying out a timeline that won’t really rush Gang Green to make a decision in the next few days.
The reason this is important is because of Aaron Rodgers, who’s once again dragging his feet in deciding on whether or not he will retire in 2023. Hughes discussed this angle from an NYJ perspective as well.
“Aaron Rodgers is still, in the Jets’ eyes, the MVP player that he was just a couple years ago,” he reported. “They see some of the struggles that he had last year as more of a result of that [broken] thumb. So, as good as Derek Carr is, you’re comparing a good quarterback [or] great quarterback to maybe one of the best quarterbacks we’ve ever seen and it’s this very difficult pattern that the Jets find themselves in right now.”
“The one thing that does help the Jets a little bit is that Derek Carr is not looking to sign tomorrow,” Hughes continued, concluding: “He’s not looking to sign right now [and] he does want to meet with other teams, which could also bring Derek Carr’s timeline in where the Jets know exactly what Aaron Rodgers wants. So, if Rodgers comes out of the darkness and says — ‘You know what? I want a trade to the Jets’ — Jets go full steam ahead with that. If Rodgers comes out of the darkness and says — ‘You know what? I just want to retire, I just want to go back to Green Bay‘ — the Jets still should have time to put all of their eggs in the Derek Carr basket because they do really believe in him as a quarterback.”
As you can see, it’s the best of both worlds in Jets land at the moment.