The New York Jets made the biggest splash of the 2023 NFL offseason by acquiring four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. After the trade, the Jets became immediate Super Bowl favorite in the eyes of many fans and analysts, who believed that the team was a good-to-great quarterback away from being a contender.
Unfortunately, New York finished the year 7-10 for the second season in a row. Rodgers, of course, was hurt early in Week One and played just four snaps. What is more, the free agent additions that the Jets made in an effort to appease and support Rodgers did not pan out.
Many have wondered how the season and those players (such as Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard) would have been different if Rodgers had not gotten hurt. In a recent podcast appearance, a different Pro Bowl quarterback made a startling revelation that has many wondering how the 2023 season would have been different if he had chosen to sign with New York last season.
Four-Time Pro Bowl Quarterback Derek Carr Nearly Signed with the New York Jets Before the Aaron Rodgers Trade
Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr found himself in an unexpected position during and after the 2022 NFL season. After the Las Vegas Raiders acquired another former Packers star, Davante Adams, prior to the year, hopes were high that the Raiders offense would run all over the league. Then-running back Josh Jacobs was the NFL rushing leader that season and Adams was an All-Pro who led the league in touchdown receptions, but the team as a whole struggled.
Carr, who had been Adams’ teammate when the two were in college, was sent home two weeks before the season ended and then released after the year was over.
As everyone knows, Carr eventually signed with the New Orleans Saints. However, he recently revealed that he nearly signed with Jets, and that New York was pursuing him before they completed their trade for Rodgers.
Speaking on the Pardon My Take podcast, Carr said (via gulflive.com):
“I could’ve (signed with the Jets), it just wasn’t the right time for me. There was still like four or five teams I had to hear from.
“I remember sitting there with (New York coach Robert Saleh), he’s like ‘look man we’d love to have you, it’s up to you.’
“I remember going (to the Jets facility) and I promised myself I had to go through the process. I didn’t wanna sign and then think ‘Well what did that team think? Or what could they do?’ That was hard, yeah it was a weird situation but at the same time trading for Aaron wasn’t a guarantee for them.
“I am probably like (Saleh’s) biggest fan. Like I absolutely 10/10 would run through a wall for him even if he’s not my coach. If he was like ‘I need you to do this’ yes sir, I would do it. That whole situation, that was the hardest thing. Because my brother knew coach Saleh and he knew I loved New Orleans but he was like ‘You’re gonna see Saleh, you’re probably gonna stay.’ He was thinking I was going to sign because of Saleh.”
Carr also said that going through the process with the Jets was a little weird because he knew that they were interested in Rodgers, and that they wanted the four-time MVP more than him.
Carr ended up signing a four-year $150 million contract with the Saints that included $100 million in guaranteed money. It certainly worked out for him from a financial standpoint, but one has to wonder what New York’s season would have looked like if they had Carr instead of the injured Rodgers. Would the Packers have been able to find a different trade partner for Rodgers?
What if the New York Jets Had Signed Derek Carr Instead of Trading for Aaron Rodgers?
While Rodgers only played just four snaps in 2023, it is not that far-fetched of a thought to believe that New York would have been much better than 7-10 had they acquired Carr instead. Here is a look at the two quarterbacks’ stats in their last full seasons starting:
| 2022 Aaron Rodgers | 2023 Derek Carr | |
| Completion % | 64.6% | 68.4% |
| Passing Yards | 3,695 | 3,878 |
| Touchdowns | 26 | 25 |
| Interceptions | 12 | 8 |
| Passer Rating | 91.1 | 97.7 |
As one can see, Carr was much better in 2023 than Rodgers was in 2022 with the Packers. It will be interesting to see how the two compare in 2024 as the Jets have spent this offseason trying to improve the roster around their quarterback.
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