At the start of the 2024 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints looked like Super Bowl contenders. They beat the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys by a combined 62 points and starting quarterback Derek Carr was playing at a high level.
However, things quickly went off the rails. The team dropped seven games in a row and fired head coach Dennis Allen. Much of the struggles were due to injuries as Carr missed seven games but was still only 5-5 as a starter in 2024.
There are questions about his future in New Orleans but Carr can count Saints legend Drew Brees among his supporters.
In an interview with Athlon on behalf of Bounty's Super Bowl campaign, Brees offered his thoughts on Carr and what went wrong with the team in 2024.
"I think, especially as you look to last year, there was a new offensive coordinator coming in, Klint Kubiak, bringing in an offense that I love," Brees told Athlon. "I love that San Francisco offense that Kyle Shanahan has developed ... I think it fits Derek Carr's skillset very well. If the first two games of this year weren't an indication - they were lighting it up, and then all of a sudden started having some injuries. Obviously, that's going to affect things. I think Derek has the ability to play at a very high level, and I think it's just a matter of keeping the pieces around him and finding a system that really fits everybody. Hopefully, they can get back on track."
Kubiak recently agreed to be the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks so if Carr stays in New Orleans, he will have yet another offensive playcaller. Moving on from Carr will prove difficult as he has a $50.1 million dead cap hit in 2025 and a no-trade clause.
