Maybe Derek Carr didn’t have a “slight lean” toward the Jets after all. Or maybe that was leaked to nudge the Saints to beignet or get off the bidet.
Regardless, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that Carr signed with the Saints because Carr felt “far more comfortable” with the situation in New Orleans.
Things were heating up with the Jets, the source said, but the Saints had always been the most aggressive suitor for the former Raiders captain. The Saints were the first ones to pursue Carr, and they actually made a trade offer to the Raiders for his prior contract. The Saints were the only ones to do that.
It’s unclear whether the Jets would have committed to Carr without knowing whether Aaron Rodgers absolutely is in play. And it’s possible Carr wouldn’t have thrived under the white-hot glare of the New York media market. By the end of the first week, there’s a decent chance Carr will have blocked 90 percent of the reporters and columnists based in New York.
Regardless, the Jets have made it clear they’ll be adding a veteran quarterback. With Carr out of the mix, the primary options are Rodgers and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Carr will be the answer in New Orleans for at least two years. Whether he gets a third depends on the first two. The fourth, as explained here, likely won’t happen.