🛫 Pilot Watch: CJ Carr could be the right QB prospect for the wrong Jets team

Notre Dame's CJ Carr is emerging as the people's choice for who the New York Jets' fanbase wants as their next quarterback.

Social media comments suggest optimism about his development potential. The question is-- is this current Jets staff capable of facilitating that development?

Who would develop CJ Carr in New York?

Right now, the man who would be entrusted with this is offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Fortunately, proof of his aptitude in this regard is extremely available.

In 2023, Reich became the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. The team's No. 1 draft pick that year? Bryce Young. The result? Young was benched for Andy Dalton, Reich was fired by Week 12, and the Panthers finished with a 2-15 record.

Three years later, Young leads the NFL in passing and is emerging in the MVP conversation. The point being, he wasn't the issue.

The problem with a "project" quarterback is that nobody in the Jets' building has ever successfully done that project. As a fanbase, I think it's time we shift our focus to stop looking for the best quarterback, and start looking for the right quarterback for the Jets.

Everything you need to know about CJ Carr

There are a lot of positives to Carr. He's won at a high clip, put up impressive numbers, and he passes the eye test for what a quarterback is supposed to look like.

Physically, he is a precision passer. He has great feel and awareness in the pocket and throws with elite touch. His ability to layer throws at all levels is on par with any college quarterback I've seen.

He also has a tremendous understanding of the game. Within the Irish offense, Carr is tasked with a lot of pre-snap reads and quick decisions with the football, which he executes extremely well.

However, while he does a great job of playing to his strengths, it's mainly to compensate for his weaknesses.

He has below-average arm strength, is not a great athlete, and hasn't shown an ability to orchestrate off-schedule plays.

The beneficiary of a great offensive line, run game, receivers, and playbook, Carr has been a perfect fit for the Irish, but I'd be concerned about how his game might translate to a different situation.

The even bigger challenge in assessing Carr is the same thing that routinely keeps Notre Dame out of the college football playoffs and on the world's nerves - they don't play anybody.

Every game in the NFL is a big game, and as quarterback of the Jets, nearly every game is a must-win. So, as unfair as that may be, dealing in reality and accurate context is the only way the Jets will ever get this position right.

The one play you need to see

If you don't realize how good of a throw that is, maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree.

CJ Carr + New York Jets = ?

In 2025, the Jets ranked second worst in the NFL in two categories: sacks allowed and team passer rating.

That same season, Carr ranked 30th in all of college football in pressure-to-sack rate and 5th in passer rating.

He also ranks among the top college quarterbacks at avoiding bad plays. Something the Jets have been especially prone to.

Layman's terms: The areas where the Jets rank lowest, Carr ranks highest. That's just math.

However, perhaps the most relevant apples-to-apples difference between Carr's college experience and the Jets is the help of a consistent run game.

Of his fifteen college wins, the Irish failed to amass one hundred ground yards only once. Concerningly, it was one of Carr's two losses.

During that same span, the Jets fell short of that mark in thirteen of twenty-one games. Translation being, there's no proof that Carr can be successful without this significant thing the Jets have proven they don't have.

It all comes down to fit

Carr might be the most mature, composed, and intelligent quarterback in this class. His demeanor suggests a level-headedness that likely serves as the basis of his leadership style.

However, history shows that calm may not fly in New York. Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson, and Justin Fields all maintained a low-energy persona. They all failed in the Big Apple.

Even now, reports about Glenn and whether his attitude is creating a problem have surfaced. In fact, the argument can be made that only fiery leaders have really excelled for the Jets.

Ryan Fitzpatrick led an electric Jets offense to 10 wins in 2015. Although the team barely missed the playoffs that year, the group and fanbase certainly seemed to welcome the Fitzpatrick spark.

Before him-- Rex Ryan's tenacity was featured on Hard Knocks and in back-to-back AFC Championship games.

40 years earlier, Broadway Joe Namath was guaranteeing Super Bowls and rocking mink coats.

Final assessment

While it's not a perfect science, there's something to be said about how well a quarterback's personality matches the town they play in and the impact it has on winning.

Brett Favre represented the blue-collar Wisconsin people through toughness and a rugged play style. Tom Brady mirrored the scrappy, do-whatever-it-takes nature of all proud Bostonians that outsiders love to hate. And Joe Montana was the perfect embodiment of the effortless Bay Area cool.

New York is a tough town. It's fast-moving, impatient, and most importantly, aggressive. You have to have a certain tolerance for chaos and a forcefulness to take what you want.

While I like Carr, that doesn't exactly scream "fit" for a Michigan Catholic coming from a system of great structure.

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