Getty Ex-Raiders QB Derek Carr.
Derek Carr has officially moved on from the Las Vegas Raiders by signing with the New Orleans Saints. After spending nine years with the same organization, Carr is getting a fresh start. He had some really good moments with the Raiders but things soured toward the end of his tenure.
Fans were divided over the quarterback for years but he doesn’t hold any hard feelings. Following the news of his signing, Carr comments on Instagram that he’ll “miss” them and thanked them for “an amazing 9 years.”
Derek Carr made sure to show love to Raiders fans 🖤
Carr is the all-time leading passer in Raiders history and will remain an important part of the history of the franchise. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of winning done during his time with the Raiders. Carr went 63-79 in starts and only played in one playoff game. It’s not fair to put all of the team’s struggles on the quarterback but he also didn’t do enough to elevate them. He’ll now have a chance to prove what he can do in a stable organization with a very good defense. It likely won’t take long to find out whether or not the Raiders made a mistake by letting him go.
Carr’s Contract Details Revealed
The Raiders gave Carr a three-year contract extension last year worth $121.5 million but were able to cut him. The quarterback might be better off after hitting the open market. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Carr is getting a four-year deal worth $150 million with $70 million guaranteed.
The #Saints & Derek Carr agreed on a 4-yr deal for $150M with $100M in total guarantees, per me & @MikeGarafolo. He gets $70M effectively fully guaranteed ($60M at signing, another $10M in Year 3 vesting after Year 1). Carr structures his deal to accommodate Saints’ cap issues.
Garafolo added that Carr also received a no-trade clause in his contract, which he had on his last contract with Las Vegas.
The Saints giving him that clause shouldn’t be too much of a concern for them if they think he’s the guy. However, if he plays like he did last season, New Orleans could have a big problem on its hands. For now, Carr is obviously the best quarterback in the NFC South and should help the Saints win the division.
Raiders Still Need a Carr Replacement
Carr is already a distant memory for the Raiders but they have to make sure they nail his replacement. The veteran quarterback is likely to have a lot of success early on with the Saints. That’s going to make the Raiders look bad for moving on from him. What will keep the team from looking bad is if they find the right replacement. It’s fine for the Saints to have an above-average quarterback in the NFC South but it’s much more difficult in the AFC West.
Carr’s ceiling was being a distant third-best quarterback behind Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. The Raiders can’t afford to downgrade at the position. There’s been talk of Jimmy Garoppolo or Mac Jones but neither of those provides an upgrade over Carr. Aaron Rodgers would but he’d cost a lot in a trade. It appears the Raiders are leaning toward drafting a quarterback but they don’t pick until No. 7, which could take them out of running for getting one of the top guys. Las Vegas likely has a plan but it has to be a good one. The Raiders aren’t dethroning the Chiefs with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback.