Bills Reliving Tom Brady Nightmares in AFC East? Jets See QB Derek Carr as 'Hall of Famer'
The Buffalo Bills have continued getting used to life without a Hall of Fame quarterback in the AFC East, as the 2019 departure of former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady - who retired altogether on Feb. 1 after three seasons in Tampa Bay - was something the entire division had been dreaming of for what felt like centuries.
Though the Bills have yet capitalize with a Super Bowl win since Brady's New England journey ended, they've managed to win three straight division titles in the process.
But is another "legendary" quarterback - not named Josh Allen - set to reclaim the throne in the division?
No, Brady doesn't appear to be coming out of retirement (at least not yet, let's give it time). That "Hall of Fame" title is now falling on the shoulders of Derek Carr, who is currently a prime free agent target for the New York Jets after visiting the team this past weekend.
And they apparently pulled out all the stops to make him feel welcome.
“They went through top to bottom of why Derek Carr can step in here and take this team not just to the playoffs but to the Super Bowl,” ESPN NFL reporter Dianna Russini said on NFL Live Tuesday. “And they made it really personal, too. They said, ‘We believe if you come to New York and win, you could be a first ballot Hall of Famer.’”
Yes, the recently-released Las Vegas Raiders quarterback is the latest signal-caller to receive that highly-touted praise. But despite a successful nine-year career with the Raiders that saw him make four Pro Bowls, these compliments don't exactly fit Carr's résumé.
It does, however, give the Bills some slight reason to perk their ears up. While Carr won't suddenly become the second-coming of Brady and terrorize the division for eons, he's an interesting quarterback for a New York team that is a few pieces away from making its first postseason appearance since 2010.
The Jets, who already feature Offensive Rookie of the Year in receiver Garrett Wilson and Defensive Rookie of the Year in cornerback Sauce Gardner, are coming off a 2022 season that saw their defense perform at an elite level.
New York allowed both the fourth-fewest yards (311.1) and points per game (18.6) this past season. The unit played one of its better games of the season in a 20-17 win over the Bills in Week 9, picking off Allen twice and holding Buffalo to only three points in the second half.
The Jets have already proven they can beat Buffalo without Carr. And though he's obviously no Tom Brady, the Bills will need to keep their eyes peeled for him, as he's a quarterback that can play at an elite level when at his best.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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