Derek Carr said Monday that he’s had “super positive” conversations with the Saints regarding his future in New Orleans.
Carr ended up missing the final four games of the season due to a hand injury but there is mutual interest between the two parties about him being back with the Saints.
“I got to take care of myself and then the rest after that is really out of my hands,” Carr said. “I’ve had great conversations with everyone in this building with (general manager) Mickey [Loomis], with (owner) Ms. [Gayle] Benson, with everybody. And we all have mutual feelings and so my confidence level is very high and what can happen, what could happen. And we’ve shown what it could possibly be at times. The hard part is we had to deal with some stuff that we didn’t get to see that full picture all the time. So we’ll see.”
Carr told Katherine Terrell of ESPN that while he wants to remain in New Orleans, he isn’t willing to take a pay cut to be back.
“I wouldn’t take a pay cut,” Carr told ESPN. “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 … But there’s always a kind of respect as a quarterback you’re like, well still we’re in that respectful lane. ‘We’re good. Build the team.’ But yeah, I wouldn’t take anything less to do this. It’s hard enough putting our bodies through it. And you’re trying to get everything you can for your family for it.”
The Saints are currently looking for their next head coach so changes are coming to New Orleans in some form or fashion. However, it sounds like Carr is likely in their plans for 2025.
Carr, 33, is a former second-round pick of the Raiders back in 2014. He was in the final year of his contract when the Raiders signed him to a five-year, $125 million extension that included $70 million guaranteed in 2017.
Carr stood to make a base salary of $19.77 million in the final year of his contract and was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension.
However, the Raiders released Carr the following season and he signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the Saints.
In 2024, Carr appeared in ten games for the Saints and completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 1,926 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Derek Carr has a telling response about his future with Saints
Derek Carr sounds “confident” that the New Orleans Saints plan to stick with him at quarterback for at least another year.
Carr is entering Year 3 of the four-year, $150M contract he signed with the Saints before the 2023 season. So far, Carr has led New Orleans to mediocre results on the field. The Saints have gone 14-13 in his 27 starts over the last two seasons.
On Monday, the four-time Pro Bowler spoke candidly about his future with the team. Despite his middling performance, Carr revealed a “very high” belief that the Saints’ brain trust would bring him back. But he also admitted that even the best conversations with the front office won’t 100% guarantee his job security.
“I’ve had great conversations with everyone in this building with Ms. Benson, with everybody, and we all have mutual feelings. So my confidence level is very high (about) what could happen,” said Carr, via Jeff Duncan of Nola.com.
“My brother (David Carr) always told me, if they got rid of Peyton Manning, they can get rid of you. That is the truth. And I’ve always believed that since day one when I got in the NFL. And so, for me, I’m fully confident, but at the same time, nothing ever surprises you."
The Saints would have to take on $50M in dead money should they decide to move on from Carr. With New Orleans projected to be well over the cap next season, sticking to the status quo may be in their best interest.
In all fairness to Carr, the team looked even worse without him this season. The Saints lost all seven games started by Carr’s backups Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener during the 2024 campaign while the veteran QB was sidelined with injury.
