Derek Carr underperformed in his first season with the New Orleans Saints, struggling to hit his stride until the last third of the season — at which point it was too little, too late. The team is hoping for a faster start in 2024 after hiring a new offensive coaching staff aimed at putting Carr in a position to succeed.
Still, his underwhelming first year in New Orleans can’t be overlooked. In response, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon called Carr’s contract one of the worst in the NFL after the disappointing year.
The bad return: Well in Year 1 with New Orleans, Derek Carr ranked below the league median in QBR for a Saints team that wasn’t particularly competitive at 9-8. And should anyone expect that to change dramatically? The soon-to-be 33-year-old hasn’t been a Pro Bowler since 2017.
The better option: They should have thrown in the towel on 2023 and started from scratch with Will Levis, who was still available when New Orleans selected Bryan Bresee 29th overall in last year’s draft.
It was frustrating to watch Carr in 2023 at times, but his contract is not that bad. He’s ranking 13th around the league in money per year. His 2024 salary cap hit ranks 20th in the league after the Saints restructured his contract a week ago. Carr also ranked 13th in passing yards (3,878), and 10th in touchdown passes (25). The Saints view his performance as right in line with his compensation, though everyone has different standards for what’s acceptable or not.
The Saints’ roster wasn’t at a point to throw in the towel, which rules out getting a rookie quarterback like Will Levis. Carr was disappointing, but to call his contract one of the worst in the league is an overstatement.
