It’s possible that both the Las Vegas Raiders and Derek Carr were better off with each other. Carr was released last offseason and signed with the New Orleans Saints and missed the playoffs despite being in the NFL’s worst division.
The Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo to replace him but was benched after six starts. It’s easy to see how the team would’ve had more success last season had they stuck with Carr. However, it’s looking like the quarterback’s time in New Orleans could be short-lived.
Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton listed Carr as one of the quarterbacks under the most pressure heading into the 2024 season.
“With two young quarterbacks behind him on the depth chart, Carr may be looking over his shoulder after poor performances in the upcoming season,” Moton wrote in a May 7 column.
A big thing working against Carr is head coach Dennis Allen. He might have the hottest seat of any coach in the NFL and if he’s fired, Carr might not have much job security.
“New Orleans has missed the playoffs in Allen’s two years as head coach,” Moton wrote. “If the Saints don’t clinch a 2024 postseason berth, he may lose his job, which may cloud Carr’s future with the team.
“Carr developed a ‘great relationship’ with Allen during their time with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2014. If the Saints dump the coach, the new regime may also go in another direction at quarterback.”
This could be a make-or-break year for Carr as teams might not be lining up to sign him as a starter if the Saints cut him after just two seasons.
Mickey Loomis Praises Derek Carr
For now, the Saints have no choice but to have Carr be the starter for the 2024 season. Cutting him now would result in a $62.8 million dead cap hit and he has a no-trade clause on his contract.
The Saints have no realistic way to move on from him and they may not even be thinking about that right now. General manager Mickey Loomis recently defended the quarterback.
“Look, one thing that’s been understated — it’s on purpose — is Derek had a pretty tough year last year, physically,” Loomis told SiriusXM NFL Radio on May 9. “He got rocked pretty good in the Green Bay game and it took a number of games for him to get feeling like himself. And, look, he played through it. He’s as tough as they come. But it affected him, particularly in the middle part of our season.
“I thought he played really well toward the end. He got comfortable with the receivers and the skill position guys we have. And we’ve got to do a better job of protecting him as well.”
Loomis hasn’t given up on Carr yet but he’s likely less sold on Allen as head coach.
What Derek Carr Needs to Do in 2024
The biggest knock on Carr throughout his career is that he hasn’t won enough. He’s played in just one playoff game and lost. If he can get the Saints to the playoffs in 2024, his job should be safe for 2025.
If the team misses the playoffs again, it could be time for the Saints to enter a total rebuild. That could mean Carr getting traded or cut. Even if he plays well in 2024, he needs to win at least 10 regular season games or he could be playing elsewhere in 2025.
