Latest Jets Trade Idea Lands Derek Carr at No-Brainer Price Tag

The New York Jets are going to be under a microscope this offseason, to say the least, when it comes to the quarterback position.

Justin Fields is under contract for the 2026 season, but will the Jets retain him for another campaign after benching him in 2025? The early rumors have pointed to a potential split this offseason. But with that being said, there is a new offensive coordinator in town in Frank Reich. Fields' future with the franchise would seemingly be tied to Reich. Does he think he can get more out of Fields than Tanner Engstrand did? That's the question and he hasn't spoken publicly about the idea yet.

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Tyrod Taylor is a pending free agent and has made it clear that he's open to coming back to the franchise in 2026. But what about other veteran options? One name that has been hot over the last few days has been Derek Carr of the New Orleans Saints. It's important to note that he's currently retired. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on Super Bowl Sunday that there is a chance that Carr comes out of retirement. This led to plenty of speculation about where he could be traded seeing how New Orleans is set with 2025 rookie Tyler Shough. Naturally, the Jets have been at the center of a bit of speculation, especially because of the fact that he was targeted by the team at one point before Aaron Rodgers came to town.

Who will be under center in 2026?

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks to pass against the New York Giants during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The chatter only picked up steam on Tuesday as New York announced the hiring of Bill Musgrave as the team's quarterbacks coach, who worked with Carr with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2015 and 2016 when the signal-caller was a Pro Bowler. But what could a deal cost? Saints Wire's Luke Loffredo projected an intriguing mock trade.

"As teams begin to explore the possibility of adding Derek Carr, the Saints also gain an opportunity to evaluate what kind of compensation they could receive in return," Loffredo wrote. "Taking into account quarterback need across the league and the available draft capital of interested teams, let’s dive into a few potential trade proposals involving Carr and New Orleans ... Saints get: Pick No. 103 (4th round), pick No. 206 (6th round) [and] Jets get: Derek Carr."

If Carr does come out of retirement and this is the cost to get him, it would be a no-brainer if the Jets moved on from Fields. There are a lot of "ifs." Will the Jets move on from Fields? Will Carr come out of retirement? Is the team willing to trade draft capital for another veteran quarterback?

One thing that is important to note is the fact that Reich has had success working with pocket-passers. Carr fits that description. Musgrave has had success with Carr specifically. He does check a lot of boxes, but first and foremost, he has to decide to actually come out of retirement before anything else.

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