Lamar Jackson and 4 QBs the NY Jets can trade for this offseason

The NY Jets are in the market for a quarterback this offseason, and they aren't going to be bargain-bin shopping. Team owner Woody Johnson has already come out and said that he's prepared to spend big on a QB this offseason.

The Jets have been searching for a potential long-term quarterback solution for what feels like decades at this point. Perhaps this offseason is the year they finally find it. At the very least, a short-term solution is required.

The team will have its fair share of options when it comes to addressing the quarterback position this offseason, but not many are actually realistic and/or appealing.

Free agency or even the 2023 NFL Draft could be avenues the Jets explore, but for the purpose of this piece, let's take a look at four quarterbacks the Jets could target in a trade this offseason.

4. The NY Jets could trade for Jared Goff

Jared Goff proved a lot of people wrong in his second season in Detroit. The former No. 1 overall pick was seen as a fringe starter entering the year and was essentially little more than a bridge quarterback for the organization.

That was until he put together one of the best seasons of his career and finished as a legitimate top-15 quarterback in the league. Now, it seems as though the Lions are prepared to run it back with Goff for at least another year.

Goff lands on this list because, if he is actually made available, the Jets should absolutely be interested. The 28-year-old QB threw for 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions while completing over 65 percent of his passes and averaging 7.6 yards per attempt in 2022.

The problem is that it seems unlikely the Lions part ways with Goff, despite his hefty cap hit. Goff played himself into a starting role in Detroit in 2023, but if he's made available for whatever reason, the Jets should jump at the opportunity.

3. The NY Jets could trade for Aaron Rodgers

It would be a pipedream of sorts to land future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers in New York, even if only for a season or two. The 10-time Pro Bowler is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and still has more than enough left in the tank even at age 39.

There are red flags about Rodgers coming off a down year and throwing his most interceptions in a season since his first year as a starter in 2008, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many who would turn down the opportunity to have Rodgers on the Jets.

The issue with this scenario, however, is finances.

Rodgers has a massive cap hit over the next few seasons that would make it very difficult to trade him. For starters, the Packers would have to eat a significant amount of dead cap to even move him, and that's not even taking into account what the team trading for him would need to take on.

I'll let Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap explain it because it's a bit complicated.

"For the team acquiring Rodgers they would be on the hook for the salary for the year. The cap charge would be $59,515,000 if they do not exercise his option and $15.79 million if they were to exercise the option. Rodgers has an injury guarantee of $49.25 million for 2024 but that does not become fully guaranteed until 5 days after the 2023 Super Bowl. If Rodgers was cut after 2023 it would cost the team $43.725 million on the 2024 cap. If he retired they could split that as $14.575 million in 2024 and $29.15 million in 2025 using a similar June 2nd date as mentioned above in the retirement option."

Jason Fitzgerald

In short, it's not going to happen. The finances make it nearly impossible (or at least highly impractical) for the Packers to trade Rodgers, not to mention the other obvious sentiment. Why would they?

The Packers seem likely to roll with Rodgers for at least another season, even with Jordan Love still biding his time. Heck, the Jets have a better chance of trading for Love than they do Rodgers.

Rodgers is included on this list to explore the possibility and explain why it's not going to happen for a variety of reasons. Anyone still holding out hope for a Jets/Aaron Rodgers trade should likely turn their attention to more feasible options.

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2. The NY Jets could trade for Lamar Jackson

This is the pipedream that seems more realistic by the day. Lamar Jackson's future in Baltimore is murkier than it's ever been, and the curious circumstances surrounding his interactions with the team, or lack thereof, over the last few weeks only add fuel to the fire.

The Ravens continue to insist that they view Jackson as their long-term franchise quarterback. They continue to leak reports that that's the case as well. But their actions — and Jackson's actions, for that matter — indicate otherwise.

Jackson is reportedly looking for a fully guaranteed contract similar to the deal Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens have shied away from meeting his asking price in previous negotiations.

If this marriage is going to work, one side is going to have to budge. It seems unlikely that Jackson alters his demands, and the Ravens don't appear willing to either. If that's the case, Jackson could very well be on the move this offseason.

Whether via an outright tag-and-trade or a "signing" via the non-exclusive franchise tag, the Jets will absolutely be interested in Jackson if he is made available. Of course, they will have no shortage of competition either.

Jackson's recent injury history is worth considering, and it will give some teams, the Ravens included, pause. But if the Jets feel comfortable enough about his medicals, acquiring a former MVP who's a top-eight quarterback and just turned 26 years old is a no-brainer.

Timing is another issue with Jackson, especially as it pertains to the last name on this list. This is a situation that could very well drag into the spring and maybe even the summer. The Ravens likely won't let him go without a fight.

Still, this is a more realistic scenario than many Jets fans probably realize. Lamar Jackson's days in Baltimore might be numbered, and the Jets could be the beneficiaries.

1. The NY Jets could trade for Derek Carr

If the Jets are going to trade for any quarterback this offseason, Derek Carr makes the most sense. In fact, if you were placing bets on who the Jets' 2023 quarterback would be, Carr should probably be at the top of the list.

Carr's nine-year career with the Raiders is set to come to an end this offseason. The Raiders are tied into the Josh McDaniels contract, and McDaniels is determined to get "his guy" in Las Vegas. Keep an eye on Jimmy Garoppolo and the Raiders.

As for Carr, he's somewhat being made the scapegoat for the Raiders' lack of success over the better part of the last decade. The former Pro Bowl quarterback has quite literally never had a top-20 (!) defense in his NFL career. That's a truly remarkable level of organizational ineptitude.

Carr has also dealt with shoddy offensive lines and disastrous coaching staffs, all the while proving to be a top-15 quarterback in the league for the vast majority of his career.

To put things in perspective, an average Derek Carr season would be one of the best seasons by a quarterback in Jets' history. Is he Patrick Mahomes? Of course not. But he is a league-average quarterback who can win you games, especially if he isn't saddled with the worst defense in football.

On top of that, trading for Carr won't be nearly as costly as a Lamar Jackson swap would be. Everyone in the NFL knows the Raiders have to move on from Carr by Feb. 15 which significantly curbs his trade value.

General manager Joe Douglas knows that his job security is at stake. If the Jets don't make the playoffs in 2023, it's very possible that the organization decides to clean house. Douglas needs a competent quarterback who can take this roster to the postseason.

Carr fits that criteria. He's attainable, affordable, and most importantly a good quarterback. If the Jets are trading for a quarterback this offseason, put your money on it being Derek Carr.