Jets Continue To Chase Derek Carr In Indianapolis Even As They Insist Zach Wilson Will Be Good

INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Jets chase of Derek Carr, already boasting one free agency visit with the quarterback, will include another get-together here in the next few days.

Carr, a free agent, isn't ready to sign just yet. He's visited the Saints and is planning a visit with the Carolina Panthers in Indianapolis as well, per a source.

So Carr is doing his due diligence. But listening to Jets general manager Joe Douglas talk of Carr, it sounds like he's the top choice for the club.

"That was a fantastic visit," Douglas said Tuesday. "We really enjoyed spending time with him. He's the only quarterback that I can shed any light on for you guys since he's the only quarterback that's a free agent.

"But I can say he left a strong impression with everybody. Obviously we're going to be exploring the veteran quarterback market this offseason and we'll be looking at every available option."

Will the Jets pursue Aaron Rodgers?

Every available option would include Aaron Rodgers if he opts to play in 2023 and wants a trade or agrees to the Packers trading him.

That's not currently on the table because the Packers haven't even talked to Rodgers following his so-called darkness retreat.

Douglas would neither confirm nor deny he's spoken with Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst about a potential trade for Rodgers.

"This is the season when we talk to a lot of GMs and talk about a lot of different scenarios and a lot of different trades," Douglas said. "Not just quarterbacks. I've had a lot of productive discussions with a lot of GMs around the league. That's a question for Brian to answer. But, again, we've had a lot of positive discussions."

Count the first meeting with Carr among the most productive meetings Douglas has had. Because everyone in the Jets organization seemed to be impressed with the former Raiders quarterback.

"Very authentic. Ultra intelligent. Very comfortable in his own skin," Douglas said, describing his potential future starting QB. "And highly competitive. On the tape you see the talent, the release, the velocity, the way he gets the ball out, the decision-making, the accuracy. So there's a lot of things to like."

Well, if the Jets like Carr so much, why haven't they signed him.

That's a Carr issue more than a team issue. Carr is intent on getting as much information about teams and options as he can before he picks a team.

Then the contract negotiation can begin.

"I think everybody would like it done sooner than later but everyone has their own process," Douglas said of finding a quarterback. "We have our process in exploring the market, exploring options and each player has their own process in terms of what they have going on.

"I know he's going to be thorough with his process to make sure him and his family end up in the right destination for them. We're going to respect his process and we'll be ready to make a decision."

Jets say they believe in Zach Wilson

But Douglas continued to insist Tuesday that the player he drafted isn't a huge bust.

"Again, our stance on Zach hasn't changed," Douglas said. "We feel like Zach has a very high ceiling. Obviously the first two years haven't played out the way anybody hoped but we still feel there's a very high ceiling on Zach.

"And, you know, in my time in the league I found that when players love this game and players worked their tails off they usually get to their ceiling. And I feel like Zach definitely has those traits."

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