Derek Carr has blunt message for Saints about his contract

The New Orleans Saints will likely want to adjust Derek Carr’s contract if they keep him heading into 2025, but the veteran quarterback says he is not open to taking less money.

Carr is entering the third year of a 4-year, $150 million contract he signed with the Saints prior to the 2023 season. He appeared in just 10 games this season because of injuries.

With Carr set to count just over $50 million against the salary cap next year, there has been speculation that New Orleans will ask him to take a pay cut. The 33-year-old says that is not going to happen.

“I wouldn’t take a pay cut,” Carr told ESPN’s Katherine Terrell on Monday. “Yeah, I wouldn’t do that. Especially with what I put on tape. Would I restructure? Absolutely. I’ll always help the team that way. But there’s some things that you put out there that you earned. Even in some cases it could be even worse, but I felt confident when I signed it that this would give the team the best flexibility at the time.”

Carr added that it is “hard enough putting our bodies through” playing, so he wants to be paid his worth and do everything he can to support his family.

The $37.5 million average annual value of Carr’s contract is very reasonable for a starting quarterback. That does not even place Carr among the top-15 highest-paid quarterbacks in the league, so it is hardly a surprise that he is not willing to take less.

While he has not exactly played Pro Bowl-caliber football since signing with the Saints, Carr proved his worth this year. The Saints went 5-5 in his starts and did not win a game without him. He seems to have a realistic view of the situation in New Orleans, though.

Carr finished the season with 2,145 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 10 games. he He played in all 17 games last year and had 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns and 8 picks.