Getty Derek Carr with Drew Brees.
The New Orleans Saints didn’t have to worry about who their starting quarterback was for 15 years with Drew Brees at the helm. However, once he retired in 2021, the position was in flux. This offseason, the Saints are hoping they found another long-term solution at quarterback with the signing of Derek Carr.
The former Las Vegas Raiders Pro Bowler was released after nine years with the team. The Saints were able to add him without having to give up anything in a trade. Many thought Carr got a raw deal in Las Vegas due to the fact that the team’s struggles over the past two decades definitely don’t all fall on the quarterback’s shoulders. Brees is excited for Carr to come to New Orleans and believes he’ll be a good fit.
“I think it’s a great move for him and the organization,” Brees said of Carr signing with the Saints to reporters at the PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans Pro-Am in Avondale, Louisiana, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for him and always felt he was a fairly underrated player that probably didn’t get the respect he deserved.”
Brees doesn’t believe Carr deserves the blame that he gets for the Raiders’ struggles over the years.
“Obviously, he was in a tough situation there with the Raiders based on a lot of the things that have happened there the last few years,” Brees said. “I think he kind of caught the brunt of that unfairly. I think highly of him as a person.”
Brees Thinks Carr Can Lead Saints on a Run
Even with issues at quarterback, the Saints won nine games in 2021 and seven games last season. Now that they have an established quarterback in place, the team could be much improved. Brees believes that New Orleans could be in for a very good season with Carr running the offense.
“He’s shown the ability to execute complicated offenses where a lot is put on the quarterback position to be able to make checks and make reads very quickly,” Brees said. “He’s proven that. I think they’ll be well-positioned to make a run at it.”
.@drewbrees has all the faith in the @Saints with @derekcarrqb at QB. ⚜️
(via @theadvocatebr)
Brees Compares His Saints Arrival to Carr’s
Similar to Carr, Brees played for an AFC West team before joining the Saints. Brees was 27 when he made his Saints debut while Carr will be 32 but the future Hall of Famer believes that Carr is heading into a situation where he can have success quickly.
“[Carr] is much more of a seasoned veteran than I was when I got here,” Brees said. “I think for him, first off, leaving the situation he was in and getting a fresh start was going to be a good thing anyway. But he’s stepping into a situation where it’s a great organization, one that will do whatever it takes to build the pieces around him and win. That’s been proven.
“He just has all these things going for him. I think he’s at that point in his career where it’s the balance of having enough experience while still playing at a high level with all your physical capabilities. I call it prolonging your prime. He’s at the point where he’s got it all and here’s the opportunity to go out and really showcase it.”
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Drew Brees Sounds off on Derek Carr’s Exit From Raiders