Could Derek Carr Be on the Jets’ Radar? The Pieces Are Starting to Line Up
The New York Jets are back in familiar territory this offseason-searching for answers at quarterback. With no clear-cut solution waiting for them in the 2026 NFL Draft, the front office is likely exploring every possible veteran option on the market. And while names like Kirk Cousins, Mac Jones, and Jacoby Brissett are already floating around, one unexpected name is starting to gain traction: Derek Carr.
Yes, that Derek Carr-the four-time Pro Bowler who announced his retirement last May.
On the morning of Super Bowl LX, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo dropped a bit of a curveball: teams are seriously kicking the tires on Carr, and the 34-year-old quarterback is getting calls from clubs in need of a starter. According to Garafolo, those conversations aren’t just casual check-ins. There’s real interest, and Carr hasn’t shut the door on a potential return.
Now, no official reports have confirmed that the Jets are among those reaching out, but the dots aren’t exactly hard to connect.
Let’s start with Carr himself. On a recent episode of his podcast Home Grown, which he co-hosts with his brother David, Carr had some interesting things to say about the Jets. He praised wide receiver Garrett Wilson, calling him a guy who “just wants the ball,” and spoke highly of new head coach Aaron Glenn.
“They have a good head coach (Glenn), and they got Garrett Wilson,” Carr said. “Garrett wants the ball, man. He just wants the ball.”
That’s not nothing. Carr also made it clear he’s got a strong relationship with Glenn, calling him “a good friend” and saying he talks to him whenever it’s viable. He even gave a shoutout to the Jets fanbase: “I also love Jet fans.”
That’s a lot of love for a team he’s supposedly not thinking about joining.
Add to that the Jets’ recent hire of Bill Musgrave as their quarterbacks coach-a name that should ring a bell for Carr fans. Musgrave was Carr’s offensive coordinator in Oakland during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, a two-year stretch that saw Carr post some of the best numbers of his career. In 2016, Carr led the Raiders to 12 wins, still a career high, and earned one of his four Pro Bowl nods.
Musgrave knows how to get the best out of Carr. And if the Jets are looking for someone to stabilize the position in the short term while they figure out their long-term plan, a reunion between Carr and Musgrave could make a lot of sense.
Of course, it’s important to remember that Carr didn’t walk away from the game lightly. He cited ongoing shoulder issues, including a labral tear and degenerative changes in his rotator cuff, when he retired last spring.
That’s not the kind of injury you just bounce back from. But the fact that teams are still calling-and that Carr hasn’t ruled anything out-tells you there’s at least a flicker of possibility here.
Right now, there’s no confirmation that Carr is plotting a return, let alone targeting the Jets. But when you start lining up the pieces-his public praise for the team, his ties to the coaching staff, and the Jets’ desperate need for a steady hand under center-it’s hard not to wonder if something might be brewing.
There’s smoke. Whether it turns into fire remains to be seen.