As the New Orleans Saints decide whether they want to keep Derek Carr or not, the veteran quarterback must also make some big decisions about his future.
Since the season ended, there has been a lot of discussion about the New Orleans Saints needing to make a decision about the quarterback position. Derek Carr is under contract with the team for two more seasons, but with cap hits north of $50 million in each season, combined with his injury history and mediocre results during his time in New Orleans, the team could be ready to move on.
Additionally, the Saints have a new head coach in Kellen Moore. Moore is an offensive-minded head coach, and will have a large say in the decision at QB. With New Orleans entering a new era, it remains unclear if Carr will be apart of that era.
While much has been made of the Saints’ end of the decision-making process, Carr will also have some big decisions to make that could decide his future with the team as well. NFL insider Mike Garafolo recently highlighted the decisions Carr could have to make this offseason.
Derek Carr will have a lot of say in how his offseason unfolds with the Saints
Simply put, New Orleans gave Derek Carr a lot of power when they signed him two years ago, and that will make moving on tough this offseason, if that’s what the team decides. As Garafolo pointed out, the veteran quarterback will have the ultimate say on a pay cut or any contract restructure, and he also has a no-trade clause, which means Carr would have to sign off on another team acquiring him via trade.
When the season ended, Carr already made it clear that he won’t be taking a pay cut. However, he did say he’d be open to a restructure. If that’s the path the Saints ultimately take, they must restructure in a way that doesn’t eat up cap space in future years, or tie Carr to the team beyond 2026.
As far as a trade goes, it’d be nearly impossible to move Carr and his contract. Not only would New Orleans need to find a suitor, but it has to be a team that Carr is willing to play for, and that seems like an unrealistic catch 22.
That means the most likely outcomes are either the team deciding to stick with Carr, or the Saints deciding to move on, and Carr forcing them to release him outright, and take on a massive dead cap hit.
