New York Jets Almost Signed Another QB Before Aaron Rodgers Trade

The New York Jets almost ended up signing a different quarterback before the Aaron Rodgers trade.

Apr 26, 2023; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas addresses the media during the introductory press conference for quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) (not pictured) at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. / Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports

Last offseason, the New York Jets were deadset on acquiring a new starting quarterback. Joe Douglas and the front office were done with losing and knew that the quarterback position was key to turning things around moving forward.

Heading into the offseason, they were connected with quite a few different quarterback options. When everything was said and done, the Jets were able to pull off a massive trade with the Green Bay Packers to acquire superstar signal caller Aaron Rodgers.

Before pulling off the trade for Rodgers, however, New York almost made a move for a free agent quarterback.

That quarterback is none other than current New Orleans Saints' starting quarterback Derek Carr.

Carr recently spoke out about almost signing with the Jets. However, he decided that it wasn't the right situation for himself.

"I could've [signed with New York]. It just wasn't the right time for me. There was still like four or five teams I had to hear from. I remember sitting there with (Jets coach Robert Saleh) and he's like, 'Look, man, we'd love to have you. It's up to you.'"

While Carr would have been an interesting addition, trading for Rodgers was clearly the higher upside move. Unfortunately, Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles just four plays into his first offensive possession with the team.

During the 2023 season with the Saints, Carr didn't have the best year but he wasn't bad. He also dealt with nagging injuries throughout the year.

He ended up completing 68.4 percent of his pass attempts for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

Hopefully, New York will get to see what their offense looks like with Rodgers leading the way this season. He is back to fully health and will be the starting quarterback in Week 1. It's time that the Jets get some positive luck for a change.

If Rodgers is unable to get back to being the player he was before the injury, the Jets will have missed on yet another major move.

Despite the questions and concerns surrounding Rodgers, he has always played his best football when facing adversity. That doesn't seem likely to change this offseason.

Assuming Rodgers plays like himself in 2024, missing out on Carr could end up being a huge win. Right now, it's hard to say whether or not adding Carr would have been a better situation.