The nine-season Raiders’ starting quarterback is reportedly heading to the Big Easy
Derek Carr has a new home.
The former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback is reportedly signing with the New Orleans Saints according to several reports and he will get a four-year contract with $70 million in guaranteed money.
The #Saints & Derek Carr agreed on a 4-yr deal for $150M with $100M in total guarantees, per me & @MikeGarafolo. He gets $70M effectively fully guaranteed ($60M at signing, another $10M in Year 3 vesting after Year 1). Carr structures his deal to accommodate Saints’ cap issues. pic.twitter.com/vs6qaBh7rg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2023
The Raiders released Carr, 31, on February 14 after he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause. He was the Raiders’ starting quarterback since being a second-round draft pick in 2014.
Carr will reunite with Saints coach Dennis Allen. Allen was the Raiders head coach in 2014 when Carr was drafted, but was fired after four games in Carr’s rookie season.
Who dat ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/DIY8gBGuGu
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) March 6, 2023
The Raiders allowed Carr to visit the Saints prior to his release, but Carr did not lift his no-trade clause, forcing his release as he left the Raiders without them getting any compensation. The team did receive salary-cap relief, though. Carr later visited with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers before deciding to go to New Orleans. The Saints gave him a no-trade clause as well.
The Raiders will play against Carr in New Orleans in 2024.
He became the team’s starter as a rookie and kept that job until he was suddenly benched by first-year coach Josh McDaniels in Week 17 with the Raiders still (barely) in playoff contention.
That signaled the end of Carr’s time with the team and Carr publicly bid farewell to the team the first week after the season.
While it was a disappointing 2022 season for the 6-11 Raiders as a whole, Carr himself had a poor season, it was his worst in recent years. He threw for 3,522 yards, with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and completed just 60.8 percent of his passes in 2022.
Carr was a polarizing figure in his nine seasons with the team. Many fans supported him because he did have some success and he personally was a strong face of the franchise as a positive and uplifting spokesman who dealt with several tough on-and-the-field events during his career.
Yet, others pointed to his turnovers, issues under pressure and inaccuracy at times for being a problem. In the end, Carr is the team’s all-time leader in passing yardage with 35,222 yards.