The Saints are getting closer to signing free agent quarterback Derek Carr to a four-year deal. The first QB domino of the 2023 offseason is about to fall.
According to sources familiar with the situation, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Monday morning that Derek Carr is close to signing a four-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Carr paid a visit to the Saints before the Las Vegas Raiders let him go on Feb. 14. During the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, the veteran quarterback also met with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. He also met with the New Orleans brass the previous week in Indianapolis.
Early on in the process, signs pointed to the Saints trading for Carr. In the end, the four-time Pro Bowler was acquired by New Orleans without having to give up any other assets.
Carr, who is 31 years old, will be reunited with head coach Dennis Allen, who started the second-round quarterback when he was a rookie in 2014. Four games into the season, the Raiders fired Allen. The two will endeavor to get done with the task in New Orleans.
Carr always seemed like a natural fit to join the Saints. Carr was the best veteran option available because Andy Dalton was a free agent and Jameis Winston was a cut candidate. Although Carr lacks young upside, he has demonstrated his ability to move the offense in the right setting. It is uncertain whether that setting will be in New Orleans, but the seasoned Saints had few options for staying relevant.
Carr threw for 35,222 yards, 217 touchdowns, and 99 interceptions in nine Raiders seasons. In 142 QB starts, the Raiders went 63-79.
Going into the offseason, there were a lot of questions about the quarterback in the NFC South division. Carr’s arrival in New Orleans eliminates one potential veteran option for teams in need of a quarterback. Carr was considered a backup option by the Jets in the event that Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP, did not become available. Gang Green has no longer access to that safety net.
