Derek Carr LIKELY on the Move! Best Potential Landing Spots Ranked

 Some shocking news came out of Vegas a few days ago when HC Josh McDaniels announced that multi-time Pro Bowl QB Derek Carr would be benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham for the remaining two games of the regular season. This news was an obvious shocker across the league but what became even more shocking was rumors that this move was to preserve Carr's health in preparation for an off-season trade. With all of that being said, it is looking like Carr's lengthy tenure for the Silver and Black is coming to an unceremonious end. 

At just 31 years old, Carr is still in the midst of his prime and at his best is a top 10-12 QB in the NFL. He is going to have a number of suitors vying for his services this off-season. Today I am going to rank every team I think has a chance of landing him from 1 (being the best spot for Carr) all the way down to teams I think might go after him, but wouldn't be as good of a spot for him.

The Favorites

1. New York Jets

This feels like the natural best spot for Derek Carr to land. The Jets are clearly a QB away from becoming a major contender in the AFC and with Carr coming available, it could be a perfect match. The Jets have started three different QBs this year, and with Zach Wilson clearly on his way out of New York, the team will be on the hunt for a franchise guy once again. Carr still has three years left on his deal which makes trading for him quite attractive. New York is stacked on defense and has a stronghold of elite offensive skill players to surround Carr. With no high draft pick in the coming draft, it is unlikely the Jets would be able to select a future franchise guy. Instead they can move that pick for Carr. If the Jets could land him, they would be an instant Super Bowl contender in 2023. 

2. Indianapolis Colts

The other MAIN team I could see going for Carr is the Colts. Indy has been looking for a franchise QB ever since the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck. They have had some really good rosters and talent on their team in that span but never a consistent QB to guide them to the promiseland and over the hump. With the current state of the team, landing Carr could push them right back into Super Bowl contention. The Colts have a top 5 RB and an elite WR1 for Carr to work with. Sure, their OL is a work in progress but once they land Carr they could focus their other assets on building it up around them. Their defense is pretty darn good too, so getting that QB (and the right HC hire) could make the Colts real Super Bowl contenders in 2023. 

3. Carolina Panthers

This would be a fun one. The Panthers have been a surprise team since firing Matt Rhule and now could even make the playoffs with two games remaining. Regardless of if they do or not, they are going to be seriously in the market for a QB this off-season. Their elite rushing offense is all they have, as Sam Darnold is not trusted to throw often. With Carr, that all changes. They get an elite, poised, accurate thrower of the football to be entered into an offense that is already so elite at running the football. With Carr in the fold, it would become very tough to figure this team out. We know they have an aggressive front office and ownership group who have not been afraid to go out and swing on QBs (Darnold and Baker Mayfield). I would be more surprised if the Panthers didn't make a run at Carr than if they did.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

What happens in Tampa and Vegas at the QB position this off-season is going to shape the rest of the market for the league. The rumor mill is spinning hard that Tom Brady may leave Tampa this off-season and head to Las Vegas, to rejoin former OC Josh McDaniels and potentially bring TE Rob Gronkowski out of a retirement and with him. If that happened, Carr to Tampa Bay to replace Brady would make instant sense. The roster in south Florida is built to win now and inserting Carr in at the helm could possibly see this team performing better than they are now with an aged Brady. If Brady went to Vegas OR any other team, Tampa would instantly become a favorite to land Carr and be considered back to being a Super Bowl contender with him under center.

5. Washington Commanders

Similar to the Colts and Panthers above, we know the Commanders are not scared to take a swing at the QB position. It is clear that Carson Wentz, nor Taylor Heinicke, is the guy of the future in Landover. This is such a talented roster on both sides of the ball and is really just a QB away from being a true contender. In spurts of above average play from Heinicke, we've seen just how good this team can be. Enter Carr, who is a model of consistency and the Commanders could be true contenders out of the NFC East. I know Ron Rivera would be a major persuader in trying to make a deal happen to send Carr to Washington.

Long Shots

6. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons might be the oddest team in the NFL right now. By that I mean they really really are just stuck in purgatory. They seem to routinely be at about 5-7 wins and can't seem to do much better or worse. It is no secret they will make a move at QB this off-season unless by some crazy turn they really think Desmond Ridder is their signal caller of the future. This is a dark-horse team to land Carr. They have cap space and assets to make a trade for him out of Vegas and an offensive minded coach who would be thrilled to add him to the offensive firepower they have in the fold. If the Falcons want to get out of the middle, they need to aggressively pursue a trade here.

7. Houston Texans

This one feels like a big long-shot after the way things worked out with Derek's older brother David years ago. Still, the Texans would actually make a lot of sense for Carr. First of all, the team has multiple first round picks over the next couple of seasons thanks to the Deshaun Watson trade. Sure, they could easily try and draft a blue-chip QB prospect and develop that player, but there is no guarantees of success. Carr is a proven thrower of the football who makes his teammates better. The Texans could trade for Carr and then build an elite roster around him using those picks. They are the likely team to have the first overall pick in this year's draft where they could go another important direction instead of QB if they were able to land Carr. This spot feels unlikely, but could make a lot of sense.

8. New Orleans Saints

The Saints make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Carr, but in terms of how they would actually GET him there, muddles things a bit. The Saints are dangerously close to being negative in cap space and further than that, they don't have a ton of high draft picks to trade either. Obviously, New Orleans is in need of their QB of the future, and they have a great supporting cast on both sides of the ball if they are able to get a guy. I know Dennis Allen and the Saints would want Carr, but it remains to be seen how they would make it work with their available funds and assets.

9. New England Patriots

This is going to be an underrated landing spot. No one ever thinks of the Patriots being involved with big name trades, but this one could be one I see them pursuing. It feels clear that Bill Belichick and co. are not thrilled with Mac Jones. He has been nothing but painfully average for New England over the past two seasons. Still, he looked better last year than he did this year. That was with Josh McDaniels as his OC. Maybe McDaniels would be interested in a sort of Carr for Jones swap that would reunite the two in Vegas. The Patriots would be thrilled to acquire a veteran leader who just lets his play speak for itself and avoids the noise. Belichick's favorite. The Pats have an elite, championship level defense and weapons on offense that Carr would only elevate. I still feel like a Jones for Carr swap feels unlikely, but it is not out of the question.

10. Tennessee Titans

This is another spot that would make a lot of sense in terms of a pure football standpoint, but the way to make it happen is a little murky. The Titans are nearing the end of a relationship with QB Ryan Tannehill. He's been great over the years for them, but his age and injury history is clearly catching up to him and slowing him down. The Titans have a win-now roster in place, but Tannehill is clearly not going to be the guy to get them to their full potential. If they were able to land Carr, the Titans would shoot up to a top tier contender, even in the loaded AFC. Carr and Derrick Henry in the same offense would cause fits for opposing defenses. The problem is, how would this happen? The Titans do not have tons of cap space lying around to accommodate Carr's deal and then how would they make a trad work? I doubt the Raiders would want to take on Tannehill's expensive one-year deal and ride with him. Maybe they would, and in that case, this could happen, but it feels unlikely to me.