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Derek Carr's Free Agency Will Be 'Long Process' amid Jets Rumors, Brother David Says

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVFebruary 21, 2023

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 05: Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders and AFC warms up during the 2023 NFL Pro Bowl Games at Allegiant Stadium on February 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Don't expect Derek Carr to sign with a team anytime soon.

Former NFL quarterback David Carr, who is also Derek's brother, addressed the situation after the free agent visited the New York Jets.

"It's gonna be a long process," David Carr said on NFL Total Access (h/t Grant Gordon of NFL.com). "He wants to do his due diligence and see as many places as he can to get a feel for what the best place for him will be."

Free agents cannot begin formal negotiations until the negotiation period starts on March 13, but that does not apply to Carr since the Las Vegas Raiders already released him. He is free to sign with teams now and has already visited the New Orleans Saints and Jets.

"Derek had a great trip," David said of the visit with New York. "He went there to get a feel for how they work from the top down."

ESPN's Jeff Darlington also reported on the trip during an appearance on Get Up and said: "I'm told it was a very positive meeting, that the Jets really believe that Derek Carr is the type of quarterback that can lead them to a potential championship. They also believe that the meeting went really well. Here's the rub, though. Aaron Rodgers still lingers, and the team also remains fascinated in the possibility of adding him."

The Jets are one of a number of teams that figure to be in the market for a new signal-caller this offseason, and Carr represents an opportunity to add an established veteran instead of taking a chance on a relative unknown in the draft.

That means a higher floor than a rookie would present, although it is fair to argue Carr's ceiling is lower.

On the one hand, he is a four-time Pro Bowler with four seasons of more than 4,000 passing yards on his resume. On the other hand, he is just 63-79 as a starter and failed to win a single playoff game in nine years as the Raiders' starter.

A team like the Jets that may be a quarterback away from competing for a playoff spot with a strong defense and a number of talented skill players, such as Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, may see Carr as the missing piece.

But they may need to compete with potential suitors such as the Saints or others if they are going to land him.

Whoever signs him, though, will apparently have to wait.