Derek Carr’s free agent journey will begin in the Big Apple.
According to NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo and a source, the former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback will visit the New York Jets this weekend.
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After a brief flirtation with a trade to the New Orleans Saints, the Raiders released Carr on Tuesday, allowing him to seek employment elsewhere ahead of the new league year. Carr is likely to get interest from a number of clubs looking for a starting quarterback, with the Jets being the first to visit with the veteran.
Carr’s career with the Raiders began in 2014, when he was picked as the 36th overall choice in the draft. He began right away and has missed only four games in his nine-year career, garnering four Pro Bowl honors (three consecutive from 2015 to 2017) and leading the Raiders to two postseason appearances in nine seasons.
Carr was formerly regarded as a franchise quarterback, but his future with the Raiders became dubious late in the 2022 season when coach Josh McDaniels benched him in favor of backup Jarrett Stidham for the final two games. Carr’s benching was the ultimate indicator that his time with the Raiders was coming to an end, and after examining a possible trade to transfer him to the Saints, Carr declined.be traded, forcing the Raiders to let him go.
New York selected Zach Wilson with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but the BYU standout failed to demonstrate his ability to become a franchise quarterback in two seasons, prompting the upstart Jets to admit their once-highly touted quarterback was not the answer and necessitated the exploration of other options. Carr is one of several experienced quarterbacks likely to be available to the Jets and other clubs in free agency this winter, and New York may also consider trading for a veteran (such as Aaron Rodgers).
