NFC clubs interested in free agent Derek Carr may have an advantage in recruiting him compared to teams from the other conference.
Last month, Carr was released by the Las Vegas Raiders after nine seasons. The soon-to-be 32-year-old refused to waive his no-trade clause for the organization, so the Raiders let him head to the free agent market instead.
Carr previously met with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. Gang Green has been considered the front-runners to land Carr, but there’s reportedly one factor working against the aFC East club.
During an appearance on the Jets’ official podcast (h/t Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report), ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that some people believe Carr prefers an NFC team, citing the “easier path” compared to the AFC:
“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. 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.”
Indeed, the AFC has more bonafide Super Bowl contenders than the NFC. Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs just won their second Super Bowl in four years. Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a second straight AFC Championship Game appearance, and Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills are a contender every year.
Justin Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers, Trevor Lawrence’s Jacksonville Jaguars and Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins also look ready to contend in a crowded AFC. And the Baltimore Ravens will be in the mix if they can find a way to keep pending free agent Lamar Jackson.
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In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers are the two undisputed heavyweights of the conference. Other than that, the rest of the NFC is filled with question marks, so it’s easy to understand why Carr may prefer moving to the other conference.
