The 2024 season has great promise for New York Jets supporters, who dream of facing Aaron Rodgers in the Super Bowl.
But quarterback Derek Carr of the New Orleans Saints just revealed a significant what-if during an appearance on the Barstool Sports podcast that would have completely altered the situation.
As I recall, [head coach Robert] Saleh said to me as we were sitting down, “Look man, we’d love to have you, like it’s up to you.” Carr disclosed on the podcast “Pardon My Take.” “I made a self-promise to see the process through to the end because I didn’t want to sign and wonder what the other team thought. Or what were they capable of? That was challenging.
Upon visiting the Jets in February 2023, Carr was then questioned directly if he could have decided to sign with them right away. He replied, “Yeah, I could have, I could have, but it wasn’t the right time for me. There were still like four or five teams that I had to hear from.”
Derek Carr’s Remarks Totally Shift How People See Things
The belief outside the building when Carr visited the Jets in February 2023 and departed without signing was that the team wasn’t ready to commit to Carr because they were more interested in Rodgers.
Theoretically, they allowed him to leave through the door rather than the other way around.
Carr clarified it wasn’t the case at all, though.
“[I was aware that they desired Rodgers], and the unique aspect of that circumstance was that, although Aaron is a nine-billionaire MVP and all that, you still have to trade for him, whereas I am not. Those choices are still yours to keep. I wasn’t requesting as much money as your market is supposedly worth. “I don’t want to do that because, wherever I go, man, I just want to win,” Carr said. “Use the money, I don’t care.”
Carr, 33, ultimately agreed to a three-year contract worth $150 million with the Saints, which included $100 million in total guarantees. With an annual salary of $37.5 million, Carr is the 11th highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, according to Over The Cap. Rodgers and No. 11 are tied for the same yearly pay.
“I think I am definitely Saleh’s biggest fan. Like, I genuinely adore him ten times over. For him, I would sprint through a wall. Even though he isn’t my coach, let’s say he said, “I need you to do this.” I would gladly do it, sir. Carr clarified on the podcast.
“You’re going to see coach Saleh, he said, and you’re probably going to stay,” my brother said, knowing that I liked New Orleans. He believed that I would sign because of Saleh.
Carr reaffirmed that he was in charge of the matter and that the Jets “weren’t guaranteed” to get Rodgers that offseason. Had he signed with the Jets, Rodgers would either have stayed in Green Bay or been dealt to another team.
The Jets of Today Would Be Totally Different
In 2023, Rodgers made just four snaps for the Jets. Conversely, Carr wound up playing in every one of the Saints’ 17 games. The former Fresno State star finished with 25 passing touchdowns to just 8 interceptions while throwing for 3,878 yards and completing 68.4% of his passes.
The Saints ended 9-8 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, despite some extremely impressive stats.
Rodgers was ranked eighth in Jeremy Fowler’s ESPN quarterback rankings, which are determined by scouts, coaches, and league executives, before to the 2024 season. There was a top-10, a six-man honorable mention list, and two other quarterbacks who garnered votes on the list, but Carr was not on any of them.
If Carr had been the head coach instead of Aaron Rodgers, how would the Jets have looked in 2023?
“With everyone talking about how the Jets need to get out of Carr’s contract, a Carr season feels like an ugly, unhappy 8-9.” Joe Douglas, the general manager, and Saleh might be fired at the end of the season. In this scenario, I’ll say Aaron Rodgers ends up with the [Las Vegas] Raiders [by trade], Joe Caporoso of Badlands said on Discord.
