NY Jets QB target Derek Carr should not be concerned about Zach Wilson

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Derek Carr / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

The NY Jets did their best to sell Derek Carr on a potential during the team's visit with him last week, and by all accounts, they did about as well as could have been expected.

Carr reportedly erased all his concerns about what it would be like to play for the Jets while the Jets came away impressed by Carr as both a player and a person. It was a very productive visit that laid the groundwork for future meetings if that's the route both sides choose to take.

Despite this, some still aren't convinced that Carr would be gung-ho about signing with the Jets. Count WFAN's Boomer Esiason among those who still have concerns.

During a segment of "Boomer and Gio" last week, the former NFL quarterback raised concerns that Carr could have an issue with Zach Wilson still being on the Jets' roster.

Esiason believes that Carr could be concerned that Wilson is still in the picture and that the former second-overall pick could still have a role in the future.

"What does the future hold for Zach Wilson? I’m not sure, but it could be a sticking point for Derek Carr. I don’t want to put words into Derek Carr’s mouth, but he certainly wanted to know what the idea and the future was for Zach Wilson. Like he should. He should go through everything that is on his mind and want answers to all these different questions."
Boomer Esiason

Derek Carr has no reason to be concerned about the NY Jets or Zach Wilson

Without assigning false motivations, this feels like creating a narrative for the sake of creating a narrative. Simply put, Carr, or any QB for that matter, has nothing to worry about when it comes to Zach Wilson.

Despite the Jets' continued public insistence that they're committed to developing Wilson, he's not a part of their future plans at the moment. In fact, it would be a surprise — and a mistake — if he was even QB2 in 2023.

The Jets might very well keep Wilson on the roster, especially considering that trading him before June 1st isn't really financially feasible, but it would take a miracle for him to convince the team that he should be a part of their future.

Let's assume Wilson doesn't play this season — probably a fair assumption. The Jets will decline Wilson's fifth-year option in the offseason, meaning the 2024 season would be his final year with the team.

It's hard to imagine Wilson is able to do enough over the next two years to convince the Jets to keep him around. Anything can happen, sure, but barring injury, Carr would have no reason to look over his shoulder.

The Jets do not consider Wilson to be a part of their future plans, despite what they say publicly. In fact, it's probably more likely they'd be willing to draft a mid-round quarterback to develop behind Carr.

If the Jets sign Derek Carr, he's their guy, at least for the next few years. Zach Wilson should not be a concern.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.