Robert Saleh sounds like he would welcome Derek Carr on the New York Jets
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke to the media on Thursday morning. Most notably, he commented on the team’s meeting with free agent quarterback Derek Carr.
Saleh said he missed the team’s meeting with Carr in Indianapolis due to a stomach bug. However, he had plenty of positive things to say about the 31-year-old passer.
“He’s a tremendous young man,” Saleh said of Carr. “He’s a father of four, obviously. His mind’s in the right spot, he keeps the main thing the main thing. A really impressive young man for sure.”
Coach Saleh discusses the team's meeting with free agent QB Derek Carr.
"Really impressive young man for sure." pic.twitter.com/psMpz1FESl
— New York Jets (@nyjets) March 2, 2023
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Regarding Carr’s on-field abilities, Saleh first pointed to Carr’s “elite mental makeup with regards to football IQ.” Saleh also credited Carr’s “tremendous accuracy and arm strength,” saying Carr can “put the ball anywhere you want”.
Saleh compared Carr to Matthew Stafford, as Jets X-Factor’s own Stefan Stelling did recently.
“He’s been asked to do a lot in his career,” Saleh said of Carr. “I think he’s more in line with what [Matthew] Stafford’s career has been in terms of, you know, if you could just get him to a place that can surround him with all the pieces, allow him to just play quarterback 10 to 15 times a game, it would be pretty cool.”
"He's got an elite mental makeup with regards to football IQ"
Coach Saleh on the strengths of free agent QB Derek Carr. pic.twitter.com/O1SoSiRfXY
— New York Jets UK (@NYJetsinUK) March 2, 2023
Carr has met with the Jets and the New Orleans Saints in each team’s respective city. He took second meetings with New York and New Orleans at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week.
The Carolina Panthers have joined the Carr hunt, as Carolina’s coaching staff and ownership met with Carr at the Combine as well. Carolina’s general manager Scott Fitterer has already said the team plans to take a second meeting with Carr on or before Monday of next week.
New York is in a tough spot with Carr. There is clearly mutual interest between the two sides, but the Jets seem to have Aaron Rodgers as their top target and are still waiting to learn about Rodgers’ intentions for the 2023 season. The longer New York waits out Rodgers, the greater the chance that New Orleans, Carolina, or another team swoops in and snatches up Carr.
If Saleh and the Jets truly think Carr is all that “tremendous”, perhaps their best bet would be to go ahead and make an offer now, before it’s too late.
