As reported by ESPN’s Daianna Russini on Monday, former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is signing with the New Orleans Saints.
New Orleans finished out of the playoffs last season after a 7-10 record. The Carolina Panthers and New York Jets were also interested in the 31-year-old Carr, who threw for 3522 yards with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last year.
Carr visited with the Saints for two days early last month and last week at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. He became available after the Raiders released him on February 14, just before the deadline that would have guaranteed him $40 million over the next two seasons.
Carr threw for over 35000 yards in his nine seasons with the Raiders, but his interception total, completion percentage, and quarterback rating were all career lows last season. He heads to New Orleans with a history with coach Dennis Allen, going back to 2014.
The uncertainty at quarterback for the Saints made Carr a perfect fit. Andy Dalton started 14 games for the Saints last season and is now a free agent, while Jameis Winston, who is under contract for one more year, could be released. Winston started only two games in the past two seasons. His release would save the Saints over $4 million against the salary cap. Winson has also been injury-prone, tearing his ACL midway through the 2021 season, fracturing his back, and suffering a foot injury last year.
The Saints’ offense has suffered since the retirement of Drew Brees before the 2021 season. They went from one of the most explosive offenses in the league to the bottom half in yards and points scored.
Carr isn’t expected to be the next coming of Brees, but he has a resume that should propel the Saints back into the upper half of the league offensively. Carr has thrown for over 4000 yards four times, including a career-best 4804 yards in 2021.
