King: Derek Carr's Free-Agent Market Lukewarm 'at Best' amid Jets, Saints Rumors

It appears interest in Derek Carr isn't as strong as public perception would have you believe.

Peter King of NBC Sports reported Carr's market has been "lukewarm" despite the four-time Pro Bowler meeting with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints on multiple occasions.

"If there was a lot of love for him, he'd have been signed by now," one general manager told King.

Carr has been a free agent since the Raiders released him on Valentine's Day. He's since taken a slow approach to free agency, taking multiple meetings and spending time in Indianapolis during the scouting combine last week.

It's likely Carr winds up making a decision over the course of the next week. By waiting any longer, Carr risks losing the leverage his early free agency has given him over Jimmy Garoppolo, the other top veteran quarterback hitting the market. Garoppolo and Carr have significant overlap in their potential suitors.

Carr bet on himself by forcing the Raiders to release him rather than agreeing to facilitate a trade to another team. He met with the Saints while still under contract with Las Vegas, and New Orleans has maintained a steady interest in the nine-year veteran.

That said, it's possible teams have been hesitant to meet Carr's reported $35 million annual asking price. He's coming off the worst year of his career since his rookie season, throwing for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns against 14 interceptions before being benched for final two games of the year. After completing at least 67.3 percent of his passes in each of the previous four seasons, Carr hit on just 60.8 percent in 2022.

While Carr would represent a significant improvement for all three teams, he's also clearly an average-at-best NFL starting quarterback. His ceiling is that of the 12th-16th best quarterback, which means other areas of the team have to be strong in order for a team to compete for a championship. Having a quarterback of Carr's caliber taking up significant cap space makes fortifying the roster much harder.