Derek Carr to Jets? Exploring possibility of 4x Pro Bowler playing next season in New York

Derek Carr is rumored to be available on the trade block during the 2025 NFL offseason. The New Orleans Saints appear to be headed towards a rebuilding phase of their roster, so they may look to swap the veteran quarterback for future assets, such as draft picks.

If the Saints do, in fact, trade Carr this year, the New York Jets have emerged as a potential landing spot. They informed Aaron Rodgers that they will be going in a different direction at their quarterback position, so they are likely to be in the market for one during the offseason.

Tyrod Taylor served as a backup for Rodgers last year, but it would be surprising if the Jets opened the 2025 NFL season with him as their starter. He could potentially serve as a bridge if they were to draft a rookie, but the idea of trading for Carr seems to make sense for the franchise.

Despite their massively disappointing season last year, the Jets still have a talented roster. They brought in new head coach Aaron Glenn during the offseason, who has consistently insisted that they plan to immediately compete when the new season kicks off.

Derek Carr would theoretically give them an opportunity to do so in exchange for a mid-round draft pick. He has been selected to four Pro Bowls so far and has thrown for 40 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions in 27 games with the Saints across the past two years.

He is an upgrade from Taylor, so if they want to compete this year like Glenn has claimed, it makes sense for them to target him. The free-agent class of quarterbacks is relatively weak this year, making Carr potentially their best option to replace Rodgers in the immediate future.

Derek Carr contract implications in a potential 2025 trade to Jets

Derek Carr - GETTY

Derek Carr still has two years remaining on his four-year $150 million contract with the New Orleans Saints, but trading him this year would benefit their overall salary cap situation. Doing so after June 1 would save them $40 million against the cap in 2025, with dead-cap values of approximately $11 million and $29 million for the next two years.

Creating additional cap space and potentially receiving draft picks in return seems ideal for the likely rebuilding Saints. If the New York Jets were to acquire him, he would carry a large cap hit of $51 million and $61 million for his two remaining seasons, but that can be lowered through a negotiated restructuring. This potential trade appears beneficial for both teams' expected goals this year.