NY Jets plan to land either Aaron Rodgers or Derek Carr

The NY Jets have a plan, or rather two plans. Plan A has been and continues to be Aaron Rodgers. If Plan A falters, the Jets will pivot to their Plan B, which happens to be the individual who visited with the team a little over a week ago: Derek Carr.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler discussed the Jets' quarterback situation on Sunday, and he insisted that the Jets plan to come away with either Rodgers or Carr this offseason.

Any rumors connecting the Jets to Jimmy Garoppolo or Ryan Tannehill should be met with a grain of salt. Those are the team's two fallback options if disaster strikes and they miss out on their top two options.

The Jets continue to wait on Rodgers to make his decision following his reappearance from his darkness retreat last week. Until Rodgers makes up his mind, the quarterback market is essentially at a standstill.

But the Jets aren't putting all of their eggs in the Rodgers basket. They're aware of the very real possibility that he decides to either retire or play another year in Green Bay. That's where Carr comes into play.

The NY Jets must land either Aaron Rodgers or Derek Carr this offseason

This is a make-or-break offseason for general manager Joe Douglas and the current regime. Douglas and company know very well that they need to find a way to get the Jets to the playoffs in 2023. If not, they might not have jobs at this time next year.

The best way to ensure that happens is to hit on a quarterback — the most notable shortcoming of Douglas' tenure to this point. Garoppolo and Tannehill could hold down the fort and win a few games with the Jets, but they're placeholders at best.

Any QB other than Rodgers or Carr (save for a surprise Lamar Jackson trade) should be seen as a failure at this point. That's the reality of the situation the Jets are in, and it's also a sentiment many within the organization likely share.

The Jets have an opportunity to not only snap their 12-year playoff drought, but to also legitimately compete in a loaded AFC. To do so, they need to find a quarterback. To do so, they need either Aaron Rodgers or Derek Carr.