Jets Top QB Options in NFL Free Agency, Trade, Draft After Derek Carr Joins Saints | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

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The quarterback pool for the Jets got a little smaller Monday after Derek Carr decided to sign with the New Orleans Saints. The Jets and Carr were reportedly very interested and the decision now leaves New York in a complicated situation.

A four-time Pro Bowler, Carr would be a good fit for a team in dire need of a quarterback as the former No. 2 Zach Wilson after falling at all in the first two seasons of his career.

New York is about $1 million over the limit, according to Spotracso he’s going to have to move some things around if they’re going to add his future signal caller.

Here are some possible targets for the Jets moving forward.

Aaron Rodgers

This one is expected as the Jets have done a poor job of hiding their hands.

The organization has shown plenty of interest in Rogers since the start of the offseason. The four-time league MVP has yet to decide what his NFL future will look like next season.

Rogers, 39, is not coming off the biggest year of his career, failing to reach the heights that won him back-to-back MVPs the past two years. But he would provide an immediate upgrade over anything the Jets have had at quarterback recently.

He threw for 3,695 yards in 2022 to go along with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions – a career-high – while completing 64.6 percent of his passes.

Rogers would follow in the footsteps of Brett Favre, who also made the move to New York after a long career with the Packers.

The Jets also hired Rogers’ former offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, in the same capacity, which only added to the rumors.

One potential roadblock to any deal is the amount of money Rogers will be owed in the coming seasons. He is owed $59.5 million in guaranteed money this year and another $49.25 million in 2024.

His cap hit for 2023 is thought to be $31.6 million.

Jimmy Garoppolo

Given his recent track record, a team with a highly talented defense and a great cast of skill position players looks like a situation where Garoppolo could thrive.

It seems like a perfect fit for the free agent who landed in a similar predicament when he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in the middle of the 2017 season. All he did was lead the franchise to a Super Bowl appearance and a couple of NFC Championship games in his six years in the bay area.

There have also been some recent reports linking the 31-year-old to the Jets and that he was one of the organization’s top targets before Carr entered the mix.

Perhaps one of the reasons for that—like Rogers-Garoppolo is a known commodity with the Jets staff because head coach Robert Saleh was the defensive coordinator in San Francisco for most of Garoppolo’s tenure with the team. Therefore, a meeting would not exactly be a shock.

It’s unclear how he might factor in, but Garoppolo is also very familiar with playing in the AFC East as he spent the first four years of his career with the New England Patriots, serving as Tom’s backup Mostly Brady.

He had a 2-0 record as a starter while with the team, however.

Anthony Richardson

If the Jets want Richardson — or any first-round quarterback in the draft for that matter — they’ll likely have to trade up from No. 13 to get it.

This is especially true in the case of Richardson, who has been putting up draft boards for the past few weeks, especially after performing at the couple.

Some scouts believe the former Florida Gator will be taken in the top 12, according to a recent report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano. And that was before Richardson ran a 4.43 in the forty yard dash, showed off a 40.5 inch vertical and unleashed his unreal arm at last weekend’s meet.

In his latest mock draft, NFL Network’s Chad Reuter Richardson landed with the Jets.