Derek Carr

Saints’ Derek Carr Suffers AC Joint Sprain

September 25th, 2023 at 2:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 25: Head coach Dennis Allen confirmed on Monday that Carr is dealing with an AC joint sprain. That means the worst-case scenario is not in play, with Allen acknowledging the team “dodged a bullet” in this instance. Carr is now week-to-week, though Allen declined to immediately rule him out for Week 4. Winston and fourth-round rookie Jake Haener are in place on the Saints’ active roster, but the latter is serving a six-game PED suspension. Any missed time by Carr would thus leave the team shorthanded under center.

SEPTEMBER 24: The Saints saw quarterback Derek Carr exit their Week 3 loss on Sunday, and it may take some time before he next takes the field again. Carr is facing at least a short-term absence due to a shoulder injury, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Carr was slow to get up after taking a sack in the third quarter, and he was taken to the locker room before being ruled out shortly thereafter. The 32-year-old underwent X-rays at a local hospital, but Rapoport notes testing revealed a more serious injury appears to have been avoided. For now, Carr is believed to have suffered an AC joint sprain.

The four-time Pro Bowler was released from hospital in time to fly back home with the team, ESPN’s Katherine Terrell notes. That adds a slight bit of optimism to this situation, with multiple reports confirming Carr’s ailment is not season-ending. Any missed time would nevertheless be a notable blow to a franchise which has had to deal with a slew of availability issues under center in recent years.

New Orleans inked Carr to a four-year, $150MM deal in March not long after his Raiders tenure came to an official end. His addition raised expectations for the Saints’ offense, though his 1:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 80.2 passer rating through two games left plenty to be desired. Carr has a history of playing through pain dating back to his time with the Raiders, so it will be interesting to see how aggressive he is in returning while the team weighs the risk involved given their investment made in him.

With Carr sidelined, Jameis Winston took over at QB to finish the game on Sunday. The former No. 1 pick went 10-for-16 with 101 passing yards, but New Orleans blew a 17-0 lead established with Carr playing to ultimately lose 18-17 to the Packers. Winston took a pay cut to remain with the Saints this offseason despite the Carr addition. After losing his starting gig to an ACL tear in 20121 then being supplanted as QB1 by Andy Dalton last year, Winston could again be positioned to see first-team action moving forward.

The Saints’ next contest is a Monday night game against the Buccaneers, with whom Winston spent his first five seasons. Even if Carr’s injury proves to be a minor one, it seems likely the latter will be forced to miss at least the upcoming Week 4 tilt. New Orleans will, however, receive a boost in the ground game with Alvin Kamara set to return from his three-game suspension to open the campaign. Especially with fellow running back Jamaal Williams on IR, Kamara should see a notable workload right away in his 2023 debut. The Saints’ longer-term offensive outlook could, however, take a hit if Carr is shut down for an extended stretch.

Derek Carr Addresses Raiders Exit, Saints Signing

September 14th, 2023 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Released shortly before his contract would provide more than $40MM in additional guarantees, Derek Carr fielded interest from a few teams. This included meetings with the Jets, Panthers and Saints and a visit to New York.

The Jets, however, made no secret of Aaron Rodgers being their top choice. But when they hosted Carr in February, the Jets were not certain Rodgers was interested in playing this season. While Rodgers was moving toward signing off on joining the Jets and delaying retirement, the Saints placed the longtime Raiders starter atop their list. This helped lead to Carr feeling “far more comfortable” in New Orleans. The four-year, $150MM contract added to this comfort level.

“It was always ‘us.’ It was always ‘team.’ It was never, ‘You have to do this, or you have to do that,'” Carr said (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell) of the Saints’ pitch. “It was like, the whole team mindset, top to bottom, ‘We’re all in this together. One fails, we all fail.’ A lot of people say that, but [don’t] really mean that.”

When the Raiders released Carr before the Feb. 15 date in which $40.4MM would have become guaranteed, the 10th-year veteran described it as “a relief,” via Terrell. Josh McDaniels called Carr to inform him of the decision, one that had become essentially a lock after Carr wielded his no-trade clause to steer himself to free agency.

The Saints were the only team to host Carr on a visit while he was still a Raider and the only team to agree to trade parameters with the AFC West club, but the longest-tenured QB1 in Raiders history fared better on the open market, receiving $60MM guaranteed at signing — with another $10MM becoming locked in by March 2024 — from the Saints. The $60MM number nearly topped Jimmy Garoppolo and Geno Smith‘s guarantee-at-signing figures put together and approached the amount the Giants guaranteed Daniel Jones ($82MM).

Trade rumors followed Carr dating back to the Raiders’ Oakland days. Although Carr finished third in the 2016 MVP voting, he struggled over the next two years as the Raiders stripped away some weaponry. The Jon Gruden offseasons brought trade buzz and rumblings about the team taking a quarterback. The Raiders did pursue Tom Brady in 2020, but Gruden backed off, leading to a memorable Brady retort years later. Aaron Rodgers was then believed to have included the Raiders on his destination list in 2021, but the Broncos led the way on the trade-rumor front for the then-disgruntled Packers QB.

Carr, however, remained the Silver and Black’s starter through McDaniels’ first season. Though, the three-year, $121.5MM deal included the aforementioned escape hatch that allowed the Raiders to bail if the McDaniels-Carr fit proved poor.

“There were many offseasons where I’d have a great year, and they were like ‘Alright, who are we going to draft?‘” Carr said. “‘Who are we going to draft? What are you talking about?’ … It’s driving me nuts. Like, ‘Are you kidding me? Are you watching the same film I’m watching?’ As a competitor, some of that stuff was annoying, and when those questions wouldn’t get answered … it’s just like, as a competitor, I’m going to keep proving myself.”

To be fair, Carr has never been viewed as a top-flight quarterback. But other teams considered him a clear upgrade, leading to some of the past trade rumors. While Carr famously said he would rather retire than play elsewhere, the Raiders’ decision to bench him for Jarrett Stidham in Week 17 changed his mind. Michael Thomas, who was not certain to be back with the Saints this year, also made an aggressive sales pitch for Carr, per Terrell. Shortly after the Saints signed Carr, they kept the injury-prone wide receiver in the fold. Thomas caught five passes for 61 yards in the Saints’ Week 1 win over the Titans.

The Saints have not drafted a first-round quarterback since taking Archie Manning second overall in 1971. The team has since depended on free agency (from Bobby Hebert to Jim Everett to Drew Brees and now to Carr) — and trades (Aaron Brooks, 2000) to staff the position. With Carr tied to New Orleans through at least 2024, with the team having a 2025 escape route involving modest dead money, that streak will likely continue for at least a bit longer.

Derek Carr Discusses Raiders Departure

June 26th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Derek Carr isn’t happy with how his Raiders tenure came to an end. With questions surrounding his future in Las Vegas, Carr was benched for the Raiders’ final two games of the 2022 season. That decision truly marked the end of Carr’s nine-year stint with the organization, and the quarterback was ultimately cut in February.

The veteran has since caught on with the Saints, and he told Anthony Galaviz of the Fresno Bee that his experience at the end of the 2022 campaign is motivating him heading into 2023.

“I was, for lack of a better term, I was very upset; I was mad,” he said. “You spend nine years in a place, you have all the records and you can play at a high level and for something to get in the way, whether it was whatever reason, money related or whatever, injury related, I would have said I don’t even want the money, just to play two more times in front of our fans. I didn’t get that opportunity. So it definitely lit a fire inside me to keep going.”

The Raiders gave Carr a long leash after selecting him in the second round of the 2014 draft. The Raiders would only have a winning record in two of the next nine years, including a 2016 campaign where Carr went 12-3 as a starter but was sidelined for the team’s eventual playoff loss. When all was said and done, Carr only got into a single playoff game during his tenure with the Raiders, and he started 142 of the team’s 146 regular season games.

Over the quarterback’s nine-year tenure with the team, the Raiders went through six head coaches (including two interim HCs). Without any postseason success, Carr understood that he’d eventually be on the hot seat

“If you win more games and you keep being productive, you stay there forever,” Carr said. “But we didn’t win enough games and that’s the kind of stuff that happens with all the turnover of coaches; with all the different things. Eventually, the last guy in the room is usually going to be out at some point. And that’s really what happened.

“I’ve survived about 20 coaches and that’s how it goes and it is what it is.”

The Saints have been seeking some stability at the quarterback position since Drew Brees retired following the 2020 season. Neither Jameis Winston nor Andy Dalton did enough in 2022 to dissuade the front office from pursuing an upgrade, and Carr is optimistic that he can help the Saints compete for a playoff spot in 2023.

“There’s a lot of work and we have a tough division that we are going to have to compete against and we’re excited about the challenge,” he said.

Packers Sought Russell Wilson-Type Haul For Aaron Rodgers; Jets Debated Stronger Derek Carr Push

May 8th, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers has begun attending Jets offseason workouts, but it took an extensive process for the Packers to move him off their roster. The teams had different goals when they begun negotiations.

The Packers initially sought a trade package comparable to the haul the Seahawks received for Russell Wilson or the Lions picked up for Matthew Stafford, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports. But with Rodgers moving out of the picture in Green Bay, the Jets were never expected to pay what it would have likely cost the Broncos (or another suitor) to pry Rodgers from the Packers in 2021 or ’22. Still, the lag time between the first Rodgers-related discussion between Packers GM Brian Gutekunst and Jets counterpart Joe Douglas — in January, when the latter represented the only interested party among those Gutekunst contacted — led to some uncertainty.

Just before Derek Carr committed to the Saints, Jets brass debated if they should make a stronger push for the longtime Raiders quarterback, Costello adds. The Jets hosted Carr in February and met with him again at the Combine. Though, Gang Green viewed the 10th-year veteran as its Rodgers backup plan throughout the process. With the Jets not knowing until March 12 Rodgers was even planning to play in 2023, they saw their top backup plan vanish when Carr signed with the Saints on March 6.

Shortly after the Jets hired Nathaniel Hackett as OC — a move widely rumored to be a Rodgers-related decision — Robert Saleh instructed his staff to study Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Tannehill, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. The former 49ers starter surfaced as a Jets option, while the longtime Titans first-stringer has been involved in trade rumors this year. But the Jets waited out Rodgers and received confirmation, via the four-time MVP’s agent contacting Douglas, his client was onboard with the Jets.

The Packers could have obtained more in a trade for Rodgers had they unloaded him in 2021 or ’22, but Jordan Love had not progressed to the point the team was ready to roll with the former No. 26 overall pick. Gutekunst sought to tell Rodgers the Packers planned to field a younger roster this season and make moves to help their salary cap, per Breer, with this meaning Rodgers favorites Randall Cobb, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis would not be back. (Cobb is now a Jet, with Lewis potentially on the team’s radar.) Of course, Gutekunst and Rodgers never got around to a meeting regarding his future. The parties had multiple January meetings in California scheduled, Breer adds; neither came to fruition. Gutekunst dealt with Rodgers’ agent during the trade talks.

As for the trade price, one of the Jets’ counterproposals — during the sides’ off-and-on talks — involved a 2025 Packers second-round pick coming back in the event Rodgers did not return in 2024. The March Rodgers-Jets summit did not involve discussion about how much longer Rodgers would play, though that later became an understandable component of the Jets’ trade push. Instead of the Jets receiving a 2025 second from the Packers — in the event Rodgers retires after this season — the teams agreed on the deal that included the 2024 first-rounder being a conditional pick and not a locked-in 1, Breer adds. That said, Rodgers has only failed to play 65% of his team’s offensive snaps twice in his 15-year starter run. It represents a fairly safe bet the Jets will send the Packers their 2024 first-rounder in this swap.

Rather than the 65% figure, the Jets wanted to tie the 2024 draft choice to team placement, per Breer. But the Packers did this in the Brett Favre trade 15 years ago; the Green Bay icon’s biceps injury ended up leading the Jets out of the playoff race and reducing the Pack’s compensation to a 2009 third-rounder. With Packers president Mark Murphy involved in both negotiations, the Packers did not relent on a refusal to tie the pick to the Jets’ 2023 record.

Douglas was a bit leery about a potential post-draft suitor emerging as an alternative for Rodgers, Breer adds. The Jets had lost Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in a two-team race last year. The All-Pro wideout was nearly a Jet, but when the Dolphins entered the fray, Miami became Hill’s preferred destination. This helped provide the impetus for the Jets to complete the deal by the draft, even as no other teams were closely connected to Rodgers this offseason.

The 2023 pick-swap component also did not enter the negotiations until late. That turned out to matter, with many believing the Jets were prepared to draft tackle Broderick Jones in Round 1. The Steelers moved up three spots, from No. 17 to No. 14, to prevent that from happening. New York selected edge rusher Will McDonald with its Green Bay-obtained No. 15 pick. The Packers chose Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness at 13.

Latest On Derek Carr’s Free Agency Choice

March 7th, 2023 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets give Aaron Rodgers their best sales pitch, four quarterbacks came off the market in a 30-hour span. Although Lamar Jackson, Daniel Jones and Geno Smith were never serious candidates to hit free agency, the Saints signing Derek Carr took away the Jets’ Rodgers backup plan.

The Saints, however, were the first team to meet with Carr, hosting him on a visit before the Raiders released him. Carr ended up feeling “far more comfortable” with the Saints compared to the Jets, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.

The NFC South offers a better path to a division title — something Carr did not accomplish with the Raiders, as Peyton Manning– and Patrick Mahomes-led teams stood in his way — compared to the AFC East, as the rest of the division is still navigating quarterback uncertainty. The Saints were also not waiting on Rodgers, with the Jets having communicated to Carr he was their second choice. As Rodgers continues to take his time, the Saints landed their top target. New Orleans’ media market is also a bit less frenzied compared to the Big Apple, an aspect that may or may not have influenced Carr’s comfort level.

Carr signed a four-year, $150MM deal to join a less menacing conference, in terms of QB talent, and his fourth NFL contract provides more long-term security compared to his 2022 Raiders re-up. Carr is locked in through 2024, with his signing bonus and 2023 and ’24 salaries being guaranteed at signing. Carr will see $10MM of his 2025 salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2024, Florio adds. All of Carr’s $40MM in 2025 — a roster bonus and $30MM base salary — is guaranteed for injury at signing.

This looks more like a two-year contract with a third-year option, with Carr effectively certain not to be attached to the deal by 2026. That year includes a $50MM nonguaranteed base salary, Florio adds. Year 4, however, drove the reported AAV up to $37.5MM per year. Carr was connected to wanting a deal north of $35MM on average. The 10th-year veteran landed it, and if his second act in the NFC goes well, this might not be the only Saints pact the former Raider signs.

Carr, 31, was interested in the Jets, and the sides met twice — in New York and in Indianapolis — but their timelines did not match up. Some among the Jets viewed Jimmy Garoppolo as a legitimate option before the front office locked onto Carr. If this Rodgers meeting does not produce alignment, louder Garoppolo noise figures to come out of New York soon. The Jets must wait until March 13 to speak with Garoppolo, however, as he is set to be an unrestricted free agent.

Saints Sign Derek Carr

March 6th, 2023 at 12:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

12:25pm: Details are in on the Carr deal, per Rapoport (Twitter link). The contract is worth $150MM over four years, good for an average annual value of $37.5MM; that figure ranks ninth in the league amongst QBs. In addition, the Saints are giving Carr $100MM in total guarantees, including $60MM guaranteed at signing (which rank 10th and 11th in the NFL at the position, respectively, and outweigh the $40MM the Raiders would have owed him had they not released him when they did). $10MM due in year three of the pact vests after one season, meaning the contract essentially contains $70MM fully guaranteed. Garafolo tweets that a no-trade clause is in place as well.

Rapoport adds that Carr agreed to structure the deal in a way which helps their tight cap situation, meaning the first year likely carries a low cap hit. Even if that’s the case, Winston is all-but assured to find himself playing elsewhere in 2023 as New Orleans looks for less expensive options behind Carr.

9:19am: After plenty of speculation, the first quarterback domino is set to fall in 2023. Derek Carr is signing with the Saints, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). His colleague Ian Rapoport tweets that the deal is four years in length. The Saints have since announced that the contract is officially in place.

Carr’s tenure with the Raiders all-but officially came to an end late in the 2022 season when he was benched. He spent the final two weeks of the campaign away from the team, leading to questions of where he would land next and how Vegas would proceed under center. A trade was a possibility at one point, with the Saints being the only team which worked out compensation with the Raiders on a potential deal. However, the 31-year-old forced Vegas to release him and give himself the chance to test the open market.

That made Carr the top quarterback known to be available prior to the start of free agency. He had a visit with the Jets which resulted in mutual interest existing between the two sides. New York has been very public about their intentions of adding a veteran passer to give the team stability at the position, though they have routinely been linked to a potential Aaron Rodgers trade.

Carr met with not only the Saints and Jets, but also the Panthers during the Combine, a sign that New Orleans could be facing competition from their division rival. Carolina was thought to be weary of Carr’s $35MM-per-year asking price, however, leading to the expectation that they will use the draft to find their next long-term QB. This news points the Panthers further in that direction.

It came out last week that the Saints were prepared to sign Carr after the outcome of their sit-downs with him. That suggested they were in the lead to land the four-time Pro Bowler, although an update from yesterday seemed to keep the Jets firmly in the running. In any case, it comes as little surprise that Carr has made his decision before the start of the new league year, when other veterans (including Jimmy Garoppolo) will become eligible to sign with teams.

The Saints made a strong push for Deshaun Watson last offseason, in spite of an unenviable cap situation. That led them to turn back to Jameis Winston as their Week 1 starter, though the addition of backup Andy Dalton led to the expectation that a swap in the pecking order could be coming. That was indeed what happened relatively early in the season, though Dalton’s performances led to increased calls for Winston to be re-installed as the No. 1.

Overall, neither passer did enough in 2022 to dissuade New Orleans from making a splash at the position. Dalton is a pending free agent, while Winston has one year remaining on his current contract. Releasing the latter as a post-June 1 cut would yield $12.8MM in cap savings, though the Saints still have plenty of need for additional funds in the immediate future. The team has made multiple moves recently with respect to restructures, as they looked to carve out not only the needed space to achieve cap compliance, but also the ability to afford Carr. Now, they have done enough to land what they hope will be an upgrade at the position for the foreseeable future.

Attention will now increasingly turn to the Jets’ pursuit of Rodgers, who has at all times been their top preference. With Carr no longer available as a backup plan, New York could face increased urgency to trade for the four-time MVP, whose playing future remains very much in the air. Meanwhile, veterans Carson Wentz and Marcus Mariota are now the top passers available at the moment, after they were unsurprisingly released last week. With Carr off the board, the 2023 QB landscape has started to take shape.

Latest On Derek Carr

March 5th, 2023 at 6:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 5, 6:05PM: Fowler continued with the updates today, tweeting that, while New Orleans and Carolina remain in the conversation for Carr, the former Raiders quarterback “has a slight lean toward the Jets.” It’s unclear what New York’s main priority is, as they’ve been heavily connected to Rodgers, but Fowler reports that they’ve “made an impression” on Carr.

MARCH 5, 3:36PM: While New Orleans remains one of the top teams to watch on the Carr front, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that “at least” two others have inquired about the four-time Pro Bowler. The Jets and Panthers are in a different situation than the Saints, of course, but that trio could see increased competition in the coming days if more teams join the fray.

MARCH 4: Plenty of attention around the NFL is currently being paid to the 2023 class of quarterbacks in the upcoming draft. The top veteran passer currently on the market is certainly the subject of significant speculation and reporting as well, though.

Derek Carr has been connected to a number of teams since he was released by the Raiders. Those include the Jets, who view him as their backup plan to Aaron Rodgers, and the Saints, who are reportedly prepared to work out a deal with Carr at any time now. The Panthers could also be in the market for a veteran signal-caller, though they are positioned to be contenders for one of the top rookie QBs this year as well.

Carolina met Carr in person earlier this week at the combine. That signaled their interest in at least doing their due diligence at the position, though it also came not long after the team was reported to be unwilling to meet the $35MM-per-year contract the 31-year-old is said to be seeking. That did not represent the only contact between the Panthers and Carr.

The two parties spoke over the phone before the combine and will do so again this Monday, as detailed by ESPN’s David Newton. When speaking on the subject of a possible Carr deal, head coach Frank Reich indicated that he would view the four-time Pro Bowler has a long-term investment despite his age (especially compared to the possibility of drafting a signal-caller in the first round of April’s draft). The latter approach is nevertheless believed to be the Panthers’ preference, reports Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network (video link).

That could point Carr towards the Saints as his free agent process continues to take shape. On that point. Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Advocate tweets that Carr could sign with his new team before free agency begins, perhaps as early as this coming week. That sentiment is shared by Wolfe’s colleague Ian Rapoport (video link).

The Saints have plenty of work still to do in terms of becoming cap compliant, let alone carving out enough space to afford Carr on a market-value deal. Like the Panthers, however, they are in need of at least an intermediate-term upgrade under center, so their interest is unlikely to wane in the coming days. That timeline could see a final decision made on Carr’s part, which would represent the first major development in the 2023 quarterback market.

Saints “Ready” To Sign Derek Carr

March 2nd, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Derek Carr has made it clear that he intends for his free agent process to be a lengthy one. For at least one of the teams he has met with, though, a quick ending would be preferred.

During an appearance on the Official Jets Podcast, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that the Saints are “ready” to sign Carr. He added that they “want to get something done” with Carr, illustrating how well the two meetings which have taken place between the parties have gone. New Orleans has long been connected to the 31-year-old, who is the top quarterback on the market at this time.

When a trade was thought to be a possibility, the Saints were reportedly in agreement with the Raiders on compensation after Carr’s first visit to New Orleans. The four-time Pro Bowler forced Vegas to release him, though, not as a sign of disinterest in the Saints but rather a means of allowing himself to hit the open market and leverage the best possible contract for the next chapter of his career. That move opened up the number of suitors interested in at least a short-term QB upgrade.

New Orleans faced a difficult cap situation last offseason, but general manager Mickey Loomis carved out enough space to make the team a serious contender for Deshaun Watson. After the latter was ultimately traded to the Browns, though, the Saints elected to use a pairing of Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton under center in 2023. Their collective performance left plenty to be desired, and it would come as no surprise if Carr or a similar veteran were brought in to solidify the position.

New Orleans has begun this year’s cap gymnastics, but they still have a long way to go. The Saints are currently more than $30MM over the cap, and not much is certain for them under center. Dalton is a pending free agent, and one year remains on Winston’s contract. Releasing the former first overall pick would yield $4.4MM in savings, a relatively modest amount but one which would nevertheless move the team closer to being able to afford the $35MM AAV Carr is believed to be seeking.

The Saints and Jets met with Carr not only last month, but during this week’s combine as well. Loomis and head coach Dennis Allen spoke positively about their sit-down, and their support of the potential of a deal taking shape. The Panthers, another team which could be a significant player in this year’s quarterback market, is also set to meet with Carr, though. Not surprisingly, Fowler adds that the former second-rounder is likely to remain patient in the name of setting up a bidding war for his services, especially if Aaron Rodgers and/or Lamar Jackson don’t end up becoming available.

Rodgers has routinely been connected to the Jets this offseason, and mutual interest exists between the AFC East outfit and Carr. They figure to face stiff competition from New Orleans in the Carr sweepstakes, though, as the QB landscape slowly starts to take shape.

Derek Carr To Meet With Teams At Combine

February 28th, 2023 at 11:55am CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 28: Providing more detail on Carr’s schedule, Rapoport tweets that at least three teams will speak with him at the Combine. That list includes the Jets and Saints (for what will be a second sit-down with Carr), but also the Panthers. Carolina is set to be in the market for a QB addition of some kind this offseason, with only Matt Corral and Jacob Eason currently under contract for 2023. It was reported last week, however, that the Panthers would not be willing to commit to Carr at the $35MM-per-season rate he is thought to be seeking. The success of his visit could change things, of course, though Carr will have several other suitors even if Carolina elects for less expensive QB options.

FEBRUARY 27: Derek Carr looks to be planning to check off more visits without logging extensive travel mileage. The free agent quarterback is headed to the Combine to meet with teams this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link).

The 31-year-old passer has met with the Saints and Jets already, and while those teams look like the frontrunners thus far, others have checked in on where he stands presently. The Buccaneers, Commanders, Panthers and Titans have been connected to Carr thus far, though none of these teams have been tied as closely to the nine-year veteran compared to the two he has visited.

A deal that averages more than $35MM per year has come up in the Carr sweepstakes, but Rapoport adds lengthy talks about money have not entered the equation just yet. Carr is prioritizing fit for now. While money will undoubtedly be a key component in where he lands, the former MVP candidate will be unlikely to choose a team with poor competitive prospects. Mostly through the $25MM-per-year extension he inked with the Raiders in 2017, Carr has already banked more than $130MM in his career.

During Carr’s New York visit, Jets brass told the available arm they were monitoring other QBs — including Aaron Rodgers — and let him know where he stood related to the Green Bay icon, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. With the Jets informing Carr they want to see how the latest Packers-Rodgers offseason saga plays out, this points to the team confirming a previous report of Carr being its second choice.

The Commanders hold a substantial lead in cap space, in terms of Carr suitors, sitting on more than $35MM after cutting Carson Wentz and Bobby McCain. A Daron Payne franchise tag will cut into this figure, and Washington is not believed to be seeking to dive deep into the QB salary pool this year. They certainly were last year, and it is interesting in a year in which Ron Rivera will be on the hot seat he could be willing to go with Sam Howell and/or a lower-priced veteran. The Bucs and Panthers are believed to be in the same boat, and the Saints, despite their restructure-happy ways, still have a long ways to go on this front.

If this lot of teams is unwilling to pay franchise-level money for Carr, it would stand to reason the Jets might be able to land the longtime Raider at a lower-than-expected cost. A clearer picture of where Carr’s market stands will emerge in Indianapolis.

Derek Carr Aiming For $35MM-Plus Per Year; Panthers View Price As Too Steep?

February 25th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders released Derek Carr nearly two weeks ago, and while the veteran quarterback has visited the Saints and Jets thus far, he remains a free agent. Carr is clearly not in a rush to land with a second NFL employer, and a price point has emerged.

Carr’s third Raiders contract paid him just more than $40MM per year, but its construction led to it being a one-year agreement. For his fourth NFL deal, Carr is not demanding it match the AAV the Raiders authorized last year. But Carr is aiming for a contract north of $35MM annually, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com notes (Twitter link).

Last year’s Raiders-Carr agreement also gave him a head-start on free agency, via the guarantee vesting date coming exactly a month before the market opens. But Carr is willing to wait for a team to meet his asking price; he does not need to be the first QB to sign this offseason, per Russini. It would seemingly behoove Carr to sign early, before free agency begins to dramatically alter teams’ budgets. But Daniel Jones signing soon could also strengthen Carr’s stance.

The Giants are not expected to be in play for non-Jones QBs, but the free agent-to-be is asking for a contract at or near the $45MM-per-year mark. Given the gap in accomplishments between Jones and Carr, the Giants giving their 25-year-old QB a deal in the $40MM-AAV range would seem to bolster the latter’s value. Carr is 31, which impacts his stock compared to Jones’, but be should have at least a few more prime years to factor into his negotiations.

No quarterbacks currently sit between the $35MM and $40MM AAV thresholds. Carr and Jones may end up bridging that gap, though it will be interesting to see if the latter stands down and accepts an offer closer to the Giants’ price point than his own. Carr also has the luxury of negotiating with multiple teams; Jones will not, as the Giants plan to use the franchise tag on him absent an extension agreement by March 7. Carr has engaged in talks with teams beyond the Jets and Saints, though those are the big two at the moment. And not much has come out connecting Carr to the Saints since he became a street free agent.

The Jets’ wish list does not appear to have changed. Although mutual interest exists between the Jets and Carr, the team is still waiting on Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP, post-darkness retreat, has not alerted the Packers if he wants to retire, return or be traded. An explosive report of the Packers being done with Rodgers certainly caught interested teams’ attention, and an AFC suitor moving on Carr early may not make much sense — unless it was certain Rodgers was off the table or sought a younger arm. The Jets have made no secret they are chasing a veteran, but it does not seem to matter if they acquire a 39-year-old passer or Carr, who will turn 32 this offseason.

Although the Saints are making their usual February cap maneuvers, it will be a challenge for the team to fit the kind of contract Carr seeks on their payroll. The Commanders are not believed to be as eager to pay up for a quarterback as they were last year; Ron Rivera said major funds are unlikely to be used on a QB. Thanks to Tom Brady‘s $35.1MM void-years bill coming due, the Bucs are unlikely to wade into the QB market’s deep waters, either. The Panthers also might not be eyeing such a move. They are interested in Carr to a degree, but David Newton of ESPN.com notes the team is believed to view this price as too steep. Carolina is more likely to re-sign Sam Darnold, or add a similarly priced passer, and further bolster the position in the draft than pay up for Carr.

This growing collection of cautious spenders would not bode well for Carr, who still may be waiting out Rodgers’ decision as far as the Jets are concerned. The rest of the quarterback market will be free to speak with other teams beginning March 13, but the Carr domino should still be expected to fall before that date.

Load More Posts