Brace yourself: The 2023 NFL quarterback carousel is coming

Get in line and wait at least 30 minutes after eating, because the NFL is on the verge of another quarterback carousel.

This could become an annual thing in American pro football, because starting QBs tend to make the big bucks, and they don’t always deserve it, nor do they play well enough to play out the life of the contract. There’s also the idea that they simply want out of their current situation, or are in position to call their own shot, and there are always at least a few QB-needy teams around the league.

So, with that in mind, who can we expect to move around in the off-season? There are a few obvious ones, but who’s going to kick off the festivities? Who is the first shoe to drop? Top NFL insider Ian Rapoport has the answer.

• Rapoport joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger and Mazz on Monday at Radio Row in Phoenix, ahead of Super Bowl LVII between the Chiefs and Eagles. Since “Rap Sheet” is one of the top reporters in the entire NFL, the guys asked him some league questions, and the discussion eventually turned to the 2023 quarterback carousel. Rapoport says Raiders QB Derek Carr will be the first domino to fall, and everything else will proceed from there.

  “Derek Carr will be first,” Rapoport said. “Whatever is going to happen, one domino affects the next domino, right? So, Derek Carr will be first, and that will be either a cut or a trade by next Wednesday [after the season ends].”

  Rapoport mentions the Saints, Titans, Jets, and Panthers as possible landing spots for Carr. And the list would grow if Carr is cut, because his contract – three more years at an average salary of $38.7 million – may be untradeable.

  Once Carr finds his next team, next up is Aaron Rodgers. He’s been “flirting” with the Raiders, as Rapoport put it, and it makes sense with the presence of former Packers teammate Davante Adams. And when you’re talking about Carr’s departure from Las Vegas as the first shoe to drop, you can picture Rodgers sliding right in there as the second shoe. (UPDATE: Rodgers said on the Pat McAfee show that he hasn’t even decided whether he’s going to play in 2023. So there’s that.)

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  GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 20: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers and Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders meet after the Packers beat the Raiders 42-24 at Lambeau Field on October 20, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

• Interestingly enough, Rapoport isn’t so hot on the idea of Rodgers going to the Jets, even though they just hired former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. That’s because Rodgers doesn’t seem interested in playing in such a big, intense media market. If that’s the case, then New Orleans, Nashville, or Charlotte would be a better fit for the ultra-sensitive, free-spirited Rodgers.

  Then there’s the case of 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s on track to hit free agency and Kyle Shanahan has never seemed particularly interested in keeping him around, so he’s very likely to sign somewhere else. And he should at least be very competitive to become the starter.

  As a contrast to Rodgers, Rapoport actually believes the Jets would be a good landing spot for Garoppolo. That’s because there would be familiarity with Jets head coach/former Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, and Jimmy G has always been a guy who’s unbothered by the media or intensity of the market.

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  FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 25: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on after the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 25, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• On top of the possible big trades and frantic movement among the names we already know, there’s still Lamar Jackson looming. The Ravens and John Harbaugh have basically promised to keep him, but Jackson remains unsigned and could be keen on hitting the open market and fielding all available offers.

  So, expect some real fireworks once again in the 2023 NFL off-season. If the Patriots get in on that, it’s probably at wide receiver rather than quarterback, so apologies to those who expect Mac Jones to be shipped out of town. That just doesn’t seem likely.

  But the Jets will most certainly be adding a veteran quarterback, whoever it is. So the topic will be worth following for fans of every team in the AFC East.

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  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.