Derek Carr Rumors: Some Teams Think Former Raiders QB Prefers NFC's 'Easier Path'

Derek Carr may be looking to get himself out of the AFC quarterback gauntlet.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler appeared on the New York Jets' official podcast and said Carr could prefer signing with an NFC team given the lesser competition.

"I've even talked to some teams who have wondered if Carr wants to go to the NFC just 'cause it's a little bit of an easier path," Fowler said around the 15-minute mark. "Less of a quarterback pantheon, so to speak. You don't have [Patrick] Mahomes, [Joe] Burrow, [Justin] Herbert, Josh Allen, all those guys. Might be a path of least resistance to win. So that would bring Carolina into the mix 'cause they have a talented roster, if they want to go that route."

Besides those four quarterbacks, the AFC is also home to Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence. Add in Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, two veterans coming off down years, and Carr would not even be a top-half quarterback in the AFC.

Contrast that to the more wide-open NFC, which likely counts Jalen Hurts as its best returning quarterback. Aaron Rodgers' status for the 2023 season remains up in the air, and it's possible he will wind up traded to an AFC team (e.g. Carr's former team, the Raiders).

Other quarterbacks in the conference include flawed options like Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford and Geno Smith—not exactly a group that's comparable to their AFC counterparts. It'd be fair to argue the fifth-best quarterback in the AFC (Herbert or Jackson) would be the best quarterback in the NFC.

By that measure, there is some logic to Carr's potential pursuit of an NFC marriage. The Saints have been linked to the nine-year veteran throughout the process and play in an NFC South that should be wide-open after the retirement of Tom Brady.