NY Jets QB target Derek Carr seems likely to be released

The NY Jets are in the market for a quarterback this offseason, and one of the players they've been most heavily connected to has been Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.

Carr presents the most unique situation of any of the quarterbacks expected to be on the move this offseason, primarily due to the rigid timing of his anticipated departure.

The Raiders will be forced to move on from Carr, either via a trade or release, by Feb. 15 to avoid paying an additional $40+ million in guarantees on his contract.

In what will likely be his final appearance at the Raiders' practice facility on Thursday, Carr told reporters that he does not plan to extend that Feb. 15 trigger date.

On top of that, he confirmed to reporters that the Raiders have not given him permission to speak to other clubs yet. That makes the likelihood that he's traded before Feb. 15, less than two weeks at the time of writing, increasingly unlikely.

If the NY Jets are to land Derek Carr, it might need to be in free agency

Carr has a no-trade clause in his contract that he would have to negate in order for a trade to occur. That means the Raiders can agree to a trade with another team, but it won't become official until Carr gets involved.

With just 12 days before the Feb. 15 deadline, it's hard to imagine that a trade will be able to happen at this point. Carr isn't speaking to teams. He doesn't plan on extending the trigger date. The Raiders have less than two weeks to manifest a trade.

Preliminary discussions are likely already ongoing between the Raiders and other teams, the Jets almost certainly included. This isn't to say that feeler calls haven't been made — they most certainly have.

But until Carr gets involved, no trade can occur. Carr, himself, is under no pressure to approve a trade either, especially if he's interested in seeing what he's worth on the open market.

Carr has previously suggested that he would exercise his no-trade clause if he deemed it necessary. He's not just going to accept a trade to any team — he and his representatives need to be involved in the decision-making process.

It seems as though the Raiders simply want full control of the process. They want to be the ones facilitating a trade, even if they don't necessarily have the leverage to do that. That's likely working to their detriment if their goal is to maximize the value of their return.

The Raiders have 12 days to figure out a game plan for their longtime starting quarterback. Right now, an outright release feels like the most likely outcome.