NY Jets dodged a bullet not signing Derek Carr this offseason

There was a time this offseason when it really felt as though Derek Carr would be the next quarterback of the NY Jets. Before the Aaron Rodgers trade and before the four-time MVP emerged from his darkness retreat, Carr seemed like the obvious top candidate for Gang Green.

The Jets flew Carr in for a visit, had a lunch meeting with him, and seemed to be at the front of the list of potential landing spots for the longtime Las Vegas Raiders quarterback.

Ultimately, the Jets decided to pass, instead putting all their eggs in the Rodgers basket. It paid off as Rodgers would announce his intentions to play for the Jets shortly after, leading to one of the most high-profile acquisitions in franchise history.

Although Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles just four plays into his Jets career, that doesn't mean signing Carr would have been a better alternative. In fact, it seems quite clear that the Jets dodged a bullet by not signing Carr.

The NY Jets made the right choice not signing Derek Carr

Carr ultimately signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the New Orleans Saints this past offseason. The deal gives Carr the same AAV as Rodgers, with future cap hits of $45.7 and $55.7 million to worry about.

Unfortunately for New Orleans, Carr hasn't been as advertised. The four-time Pro Bowler has thrown six touchdowns and four interceptions this season while averaging just 6.3 yards per attempt — easily the lowest mark since his rookie campaign in 2016.

He's completing under 64 percent of his passes and is tied for eighth in the NFL in turnover-worthy plays alongside the likes of Daniel Jones and Sam Howell. Carr has been a below-average quarterback, captaining one of the worst offenses in football.

The Saints are only averaging 0.2 points per game more than a Jets team that has been forced to start a backup quarterback against a murderer's row of defenses to start the season.

Carr and the Saints' offensive struggles were on full display for a national audience during the team's Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football last night. His performance had many Jets fans rethinking their preseason takes.

It's become increasingly apparent that the Jets dodged a significant bullet by not signing Carr. Even an injured Rodgers, with a small possibility of returning this season, breathes more hope and optimism into the fan base at this point.

You could argue that the Zach Wilson we've seen over the last three weeks is producing at a similar level to what Carr would be producing at in New York.

There was a time when Carr made plenty of sense for the Jets. Fortunately, general manager Joe Douglas played his cards right and landed the big fish instead.

Jets fans are very happy their team went in a different direction.