The Jets have to be considered among the favorites to land Carr. Owner Woody Johnson has said he “absolutely” is willing to pay for a veteran passer this offseason. They certainly could go the Jimmy Garoppolo route, and head coach Robert Saleh certainly has familiarity with him.
But the Jets’ new passing-game coordinator, Todd Downing, also has experience with Carr, as his QB coach (2015) and offensive coordinator (2016) with the Raiders. For what it’s worth, though, Downing will be working under new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who is closely aligned with Aaron Rodgers (Packers OC from 2019 to ’21), another QB who might be on the move this offseason.
If there are concerns about Garoppolo’s injury history or potential contract demands, or if the Jets don’t want to pay up to acquire Rodgers, Carr could be a legitimate, bird-in-the-hand option.
The roster is in very good shape overall, teeming with offensive talent — except at quarterback. After Zach Wilson’s struggles, one must wonder how interested the Jets would be in drafting another passer high this spring.
The Jets are a bit restricted in terms of salary-cap space at the moment, so there are some potential holdups here, but it’s not hard to see how Carr could view them as an option to refresh his career. The Jets have a good defense, some decent offensive line pieces, good running backs and some talented, young receivers. The AFC East remains a tough division until proven otherwise, and the NYC glare isn’t for everyone, but it makes too much sense to include the Jets in the mix.
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