NY Jets target Derek Carr could be traded within a few days

The NY Jets have been one of the teams most heavily connected to Derek Carr trade rumors over the last few weeks, and those rumors have begun to heat up.

While Aaron Rodgers has suddenly become the subject of many Jets trade rumors, the Carr situation figures to be the first domino to fall in the quarterback market this offseason. How soon might that domino fall? Perhaps as soon as this week.

Carr was named to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement on Tuesday, his fourth appearance in the annual all-star game. His inclusion in the game is not only awkward as he will have to return to Las Vegas, but it puts the Raiders in a difficult situation.

If Carr were to suffer an injury during the Pro Bowl, the Raiders would actually be on the hook for the $40.5 million roster bonus that is set to become guaranteed on Feb. 15. The Raiders might not want to risk it.

Derek Carr could be traded or released before the Pro Bowl

Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal speculated this exact scenario on Tuesday when discussing Carr's uncertain future. Sure, it's unlikely that Carr would suffer any sort of serious injury at the Pro Bow, but why take the chance?

The big issue is that the Raiders "haven’t given Carr permission to talk with other teams about a trade" yet, per Bonsignore. With only a few days before the Pro Bowl, that likely means the Raiders would simply have to release Carr.

Las Vegas must trade or release Carr prior to Feb. 15, the date Carr's $40.5 million roster bonus becomes guaranteed. That roster bonus consists of his 2023 salary of $33 million and $7.5 million of his 2024 salary.

The Raiders will move on before Feb. 15 giving them two weeks for Carr to waive his no-trade clause and work out a deal, but again, the Pro Bowl invite complicates matters.

If the Raiders don't want to risk an injury, it would make the most sense to simply release him before Feb. 5, which would set up an odd scenario with a free-agent quarterback playing in the Pro Bowl.

If the Raiders can find a trade partner, any team trading for Carr would inherit the remaining three years, $121 million on his contract, including the roster bonus. That's another factor to consider in this situation.

The Jets would certainly like to bide their time and wait out their options, but the deadline for Carr to be moved is fast approaching. And following his surprise appearance in the Pro Bowl, that deadline may have just been moved up to this weekend.