New York Jets Nearly Added This QB Before Aaron Rodgers

For years, the quarterback position has been a huge void in the lineup for the New York Jets. That is why there was so much excitement when the team acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.

Of course, that excitement wore off quickly in the regular season. After only four offensive snaps, Aaron Rodgers’ first season with the team came to an end.

He suffered an Achilles injury, which turned out to be season-ending. As a result, the New York Jets’ 2023 season went down the tubes because of poor quarterback play.

How different would things have been had Aaron Rodgers been able to stay healthy? Or, what position would the franchise be in had they not made the trade to acquire the future Hall of Famer at all?

That is something New York Jets fans will now be asking themselves. That is because veteran quarterback Derek Carr revealed he had a chance to join the team before a deal for Aaron Rodgers was completed.

During an appearance on Pardon My Take, Carr revealed that the opportunity to sign with the New York Jets was presented to him. Unfortunately, the timing was not right, as he wanted to make sure he met with all of the teams who were interested in him.

The former Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback revealed he was willing to take a deal below market value to land with the New York Jets. Winning was his No. 1 priority and he was willing to take less money to ensure he’d have a chance to do that.

Their head coach, Robert Saleh, was the No. 1 reason Carr was considering them and why he held the franchise in such high regard.

In addition to the pay cut he was willing to take, acquiring Carr wouldn’t have cost the New York Jets anything else. To land Aaron Rodgers, they had to send draft picks to Green Bay; Carr was free in that sense, only costing salary cap space.

Things would be vastly different for the New York Jets had they gone down the route of signing Carr. Several players who had relationships with Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t have been signed.

The salary cap gymnastics the team has had to do acquiring his contract wouldn’t have been needed either. New York would have also picked at No. 13 in 2023 instead of No. 15, and not had to trade away two second-round picks along with a sixth and seven-rounder as well.

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