The NFL’s quarterback carousel started spinning on Monday as the New Orleans Saints signed four-time Raiders Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr to a four-year, $150 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. NFL free agency technically doesn’t begin until the new league year on March 15 but because Carr was cut by the Raiders, he could sign whenever he wanted and chose the Saints over the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.
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NFL Betting News: Derek Carr Signs With Saints, Leaving Jets Hoping For Aaron Rodgers
The Saints were the only team to offer Las Vegas anything in trade for Carr while he was still under contract, but Carr told the Raiders he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause to any team. Not because he didn’t want to go to New Orleans but because he wanted to be released and become an unrestricted free agent – which is what happened.
Last season Carr finished with 3,522 passing yards (the third-lowest mark of his nine-year career), 24 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions (tied for the most in a single season), a 60.8% completion percentage (a career low) and an 86.3 passer rating (a career low). A league MVP candidate prior to getting hurt late in the 2016 season, Carr led the Raiders to the franchise’s only two playoff appearances since 2002.
Is he that much of an upgrade on Andy Dalton or Jameis Winston? We shall see, but New Orleans is now the +150 betting favorite in the NFC South simply as it’s the only team that knows who its starting QB will be. Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady retired, Carolina has no idea right now and neither does Atlanta. The Bucs won the division last year despite only an 8-9 record.
Carr has ties to Saints coach Dennis Allen as he was the Raiders’ head coach for the first four games of Carr’s 2014 rookie season before being fired.
“[Allen] and I have a great relationship still to this day,” Carr said prior to the Saints’ game against the Raiders last season. “And I still talk to him and things like that — obviously not this week and all those things, but we’ve always kept in contact, we’ve always been close. I love him, I loved having him.”
Carr going to the Saints continues the franchise’s model of using free agency and non-homegrown players at quarterback. Since free agency began in 1993, the Saints have by far the most QB starts by players not drafted by them.
New Orleans has struggled on offense since quarterback Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season and has made several attempts to find a replacement, going after Deshaun Watson last year and playing Taysom Hill, Dalton and Winston, among others.
The Saints entered the offseason more than $50 million over the expected 2023 salary cap of $224.8 million but now need about $18 million to become compliant after contract restructures for several players. The next question after Carr is what they’ll do with former Pro Bowl wide receiver Michael Thomas, who restructured his contract earlier in the offseason to give both sides more flexibility ahead of free agency. The former NFL Offensive Player of the Year could be released.
Presuming Aaron Rodgers doesn’t retire, Green Bay now has more leverage when it comes to trading the four-time MVP as Jets have long been considered a favorite to pursue A-Rod, and Carr was reportedly their next-best option, even apparently leaning toward signing with New York in recent days.
Since emerging from his four-day darkness retreat, Rodgers has not relayed his future plans to Packers brass, as general manager Brian Gutekunst said at last week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. However, with Carr on the market and free agency next week, expect finality to the Rodgers situation this week.
If the Jets miss out on Rodgers, the next quarterback to look at is Jimmy Garoppolo, who is scheduled to become a free agent next week. Jets coach Robert Saleh and Garoppolo have familiarity from their time together with the 49ers where Saleh was the defensive coordinator from 2017-20. The two went to a Super Bowl together in the 2019 season.
After finishing 8-9 in 2022, the Packers have remained non-committal about Rodgers returning since the start of the offseason. The team is being respectful of Rodgers’ time away and personal need to decide his own future. It is believed the team is tired of the annual drama and ready to move on with young Jordan Love.
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2023 NFL Transactions | Monday, March 6
| Team | Player | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| ARI | H. HowertonHayden Howerton | Acquired from waiver |
| DAL | T. PollardTony Pollard | Designated franchise player non-exclusive franchise tag |
| HOU | T. StallworthTaylor Stallworth | Re-signed One-year contract (through 2023) |
| JAC | E. EngramEvan Engram | Designated franchise player non-exclusive franchise tag |
| JAC | C. RidleyCalvin Ridley | Suspension lifted |
| LV | J. JacobsJosh Jacobs | Designated franchise player non-exclusive franchise tag |
| MIN | E. KendricksEric Kendricks | Cut |
| NO | D. CarrDerek Carr | Signed Four-year contract (through 2026) |
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