As the New York Jets pursue Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers as their top options to replace Zach Wilson as the team's starting quarterback, Robert Saleh told reporters Thursday that his preference is to carry three good quarterbacks on the roster.

“Quarterbacks are gold,” Saleh said. “If you have three guys you have faith in, then absolutely, yeah, you hold them.”

Saleh added that he thought the Jets had such a situation last season when Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco all were on roster and each started at least four games.

“I thought we had three really good quarterbacks (in 2022) … and if we’re presented with that same opportunity again, you’d love to keep it that way.”

Of course, Saleh and the Jets need better production from the position in 2023. That’s why they are aggressively pursuing a veteran starting quarterback this offseason.

Jets have second meeting with Derek Carr

To that end, the Jets met with Carr at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday. It was their second meeting with the free agent, who was released by the Las Vegas Raiders in February. Owner Woody Johnson was part of the most recent get together, but Robert Saleh was not because the coach was ill.

Saleh did meet with Carr when he visited the Jets last month and said the 31-year-old is “a really impressive young man, for sure.”

The Jets coach also made a comparison between Carr and Matthew Stafford, the long-time Detroit Lions quarterback, who won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.

“Derek has an elite makeup as far as football I.Q.,” Saleh said. “He’s been asked to do a lot in his career and … he’s more in line with what Stafford’s career has been. If you can just get him to a place that has all the pieces and allow him to just play quarterback 10 to 15 times a game, it’d be pretty cool.”

Zach Wilson, Mike White still in Jets' mix

Robert Saleh also said he’d like to see White, a free agent, return to the Jets next season.

“He should be on this roster,” Saleh said.

Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, will be back after two subpar seasons to begin his NFL career.

Saleh said it’s the job of the coaching staff to help Wilson “reach his max potential.”

That pronouncement came two days after Jets general manager Joe Douglas said he believes Wilson will “hit” his “high ceiling.”

Hanging over the Jets is Rodgers, who still has not decided if he wants to play in 2023, and the question of whether he would be willing to play for a team other than the Green Bay Packers, and if he has any interest in being traded to the Jets.