The New York Jets always seem to find themselves at the same old crossroads: a roster looking to move forward and a quarterback plan that continues to slip further out of their hands. They had what appeared to be their chance to find a solution to their quarterback situation. However, it seems to have simply led to more waiting, as the veteran quarterback, Derek Carr, will return on his own terms.

In the latest episode of Home Grown with David & Derek Carr, he talked about the speculation on his potential comeback, and he did not dismiss the possibility of his NFL return.

“Would I come back? The answer is yes,” Derek said, drawing a hard line on the kind of situation he’d return for: “Would I do it for anybody? Absolutely not.”

Carr added that any comeback would depend on two factors: “I’d have to be healthy and have a chance to win a Super Bowl.” ​

In the segment, without diving deep, he also mentioned that he has already turned down offers that didn’t fit his requirements.

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This is a swift blow to the Jets, who finished 3-14 in 2025, placed fourth in the AFC East, and ranked 15th in the AFC. Given Derek Carr’s NFL return news, the Jets would want him to lead their team with quarterback coach Bill Musgrave.

Musgrave and Carr had previously collaborated with the Oakland Raiders between 2015 and 2016. Notably, Carr was a Pro Bowl player in both seasons. During this time, Carr even ranked 3rd in the MVP voting in 2016.

Looking at his career arc, Derek Carr has made quite a name for himself throughout his time in the league.

In fact, he just announced his retirement in 2025 due to longstanding pain in his right shoulder. In his eleven seasons, he’s completed 65.1% of his passes throughout his career, throwing for 41,245 yards with 257 touchdowns against 112 interceptions and a 92.8 passer rating.

For the Jets, Derek Carr’s conditions bring out one thing, which is that waiting right now will prove to be risky. After finishing the 2025 season at the bottom of the AFC, they are unlikely to rely on Carr to unretire on their timeline. Instead of having just a single quarterback on the roster, they will need to explore multiple options at the position.

Jets likely to add multiple QBs to address Justin Fields Setback

The QB room of the New York team is going to receive a full repair and not a temporary one. Following their decision to move on from Justin Fields, the Jets are likely to land several passers during the offseason. According to Rosenblatt, they should target several quarterbacks, including both veterans and rookies.

“Justin Fields was a disaster and almost certainly won’t be back in 2026,” according to Zack Rosenblatt, “…But expect the Jets to add multiple quarterbacks this offseason—one or two veterans plus a rookie.”

The choices could be Joe Flacco, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, or Kirk Cousins. But beyond those veterans, the Jets are likely to also take on in the draft Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be considered as a top-five pick.

Regarding Fields’ on-field performance with the Jets, the statistics indicate why the team is willing to part ways. In 2025, he played 9 games and managed to record 1259 passing yards, 7 passing TDs, 1 interception, a completion rate of 62.7, and a passer rating of 89.5. But the part that really tells the story is the pressure, as he got sacked 27 times in those nine games.

It’ll be interesting to see what the Jets decide to do about the quarterback situation this offseason, especially if they decide to let Justin Fields go. That’s what’s going to determine whether they really are building towards a Super Bowl run next season or not.