Where next for Derek Carr?
With Derek Carr set to visit New Orleans ahead of a potential trade, we look at the possibility of him joining the Saints as well as exploring four other teams that could emerge as options for the Raiders quarterback.
Nine years after being selected in the second round of the 2014 draft, Derek Carr will be leaving the Las Vegas Raiders. After a 13-10 loss to the Steelers in week 16, Josh McDaniels announced that Jarrett Stidham would be starting the last two games of the season and hence signalling that Derek Carr’s time as a Raider was over. With $40.4 million in guarantees due to him should he still be on the roster come the 15th of February, the Raiders will be eager to get a trade agreed with another team in the next week and reports suggest they have already agreed compensation terms with the Saints. A trade is said to not be imminent though and this is due to the no-trade clause that Carr has in his contract that gives him the power to veto any move. He is due to visit New Orleans on Wednesday to carry out his due diligence, but this could be just the first of a number of similar visits to potential suitors as he decides which team would be the best fit for him. The Raiders could even be forced to cut him if nothing is finalised before the February 15th deadline and Derek Carr would become a highly desired free agent. Either way, over the next week we should get a much clearer picture over where Carr’s future lies. So, where could the former Fresno State quarterback end up?
New Orleans Saints
Even before the news broke about Derek Carr’s upcoming visit to the Saints, a move to New Orleans seemed the most likely. The Saints have had uncertainty at the quarterback position since Drew Brees’ retirement and are desperate for a new man at the position. Andy Dalton is due to enter free agency this season and does not seem to be the man to take the team forward. Jameis Winston is still on the roster for 2023 but he will not be the starting QB in New Orleans after being kept on the bench behind Dalton after his return from injury. Derek Carr could be the man the Saints are looking for. He already has a strong link to the Saints through their head coach, as Dennis Allen was Carr’s first HC upon joining the league in 2014. It was a short time they spent together due to Allen being fired after a 0-4 start but the two have maintained a good relationship since. Ahead of October’s match up with the Saints, Carr was quoted as saying, “DA and I have a great relationship still to this day. I still talk to him -- obviously not this week -- but we’ve always kept in contact. We’ve always been close.” As well as the appeal of working with Dennis Allen again, there are plenty of pieces on the Saints’ roster that make them an attractive team to join. Working with highly impressive rookie receiver Chris Olave is a big selling point for them and in Alvin Kamara they have a top-quality back who would benefit from a quarterback with Carr’s qualities. Already possessing a solid defense, the Saints would be in a strong position in a weak and wide-open NFC South if Carr were to arrive and they could possibly give him the opportunity to win the first playoff match of his career.
An issue though would be Carr’s contract demands and the Saints’ cap space problems. They are currently in the worst position in the league in terms of cap space, being a hefty $60 million in the red, and would have a lot of work to do to make the room for his salary. This isn’t beyond them though and financial gymnastics will likely be needed for whatever QB they end up signing. $12.8 million will be automatically saved after the likely cut of Jameis Winston, provided it happens after June 1st, and in recent offseasons the Saints have made a habit or restructuring contracts to make them more cap friendly. This is something they are likely to do again this year. Carr will be entering any possible negotiations from a position of power though and it is highly unlikely that the Saints will be the only team wanting to talk with him.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another NFC South team that has strongly been linked with Derek Carr is the 2021 Superbowl champions. Due to Tom Brady’s retirement announcement (for real this time), the Buccs find themselves in a quandary when it comes to the quarterback position. Currently, Kyle Trask is the only QB on their roster for 2023 and he has only entered the field once since being picked in the second round of the 2021 draft. The issue for the Buccs is that under Brady they were in ‘win now’ mode, which obviously paid off with their Superbowl title, but this offseason they have a decision to make. Do they go again and try to get another ring or is it time to tear everything apart and reboot this team? After a disappointing first season in charge, I can see HC Todd Bowles wanting to have another real go at it this season and apart from the quarterback position, the team is built to compete now. In Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, they have two outstanding Pro-Bowl receivers that are on good money contracts and, when fully fit, they have a very good offensive line to protect any new quarterback. A move to Tampa Bay would be a very attractive prospect, not least due to the Florida weather and favourable tax benefits, and he would automatically be in a position to challenge for postseason honours. In Carr, the Buccs would be a getting an experienced leader who is well thought of in the locker room and a safe pair of hands at the quarterback position. GM Jason Licht was reportedly interested in Derek Carr during the 2014 draft. Could he finally get his man? Cap space again would be an issue for the Buccaneers, but they would surely make it work to give themselves one more chance of winning another ring with this roster.
New York Jets
The Jets have made no secret of the fact that they are in the hunt for a new quarterback this offseason. While being linked with a headline grabbing move to reunite Aaron Rodgers with his former Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, a move for Derek Carr could end up being a wiser move for them. Rodgers, while being a four-time league MVP, is now 39 and in the twilight of his career while Carr is only turning 32 next month. Plus, there’s the finances of any deal. Acquiring Rodgers will likely cost a significant haul of draft picks, possibly two first rounders, while Carr would be considerably cheaper due to the Raiders’ desperation to trade. Aaron Rodgers’ contract could be an issue too with almost $60 million of guaranteed money due to him for the 2023 season, although he has said he would be open to restructuring his contract in the event of a trade. Carr on the other hand would be a much cheaper option salary wise.
The Jets have a Superbowl ready roster, and the feeling is they just need an experienced veteran to guide them into the offseason. Derek Carr fits this bill. He may not be as attractive a name as Rodgers, but he would be a steady pair of hands for this Jets offense and a huge upgrade on Zach Wilson. He has always been at worse a league average quarterback during his time as a Raider, regardless of the situation around him, and, without a doubt, in New York he would be in a much better position to thrive. With exciting young players on offense such as Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Elijah Moore, and a top five defense from last year in both points allowed and yards allowed, he would be moving to a team that would automatically challenge next season. A move to New York would end up being an upgrade for both the Jets and Derek Carr himself.
Washington Commanders
Last offseason, the Commanders reportedly contacted the Raiders about Derek Carr. They were told he was not available. That situation has clearly changed this year so will the Commanders show interest in him again? They ended up signing Carson Wentz instead but that is a move that hasn’t worked out and again there is a great deal of uncertainty over who will be the starting quarterback in Washington for the next season. Wentz could very well be cut this offseason and Taylor Heinicke, who started 9 games for the Commanders in 2022, is set to become a free agent. Rookie QB Sam Howell impressed in his first NFL start against the Cowboys in week 18 but he is likely not ready to be the team’s starter. This is a roster that finished just half a game outside the playoffs with an 8-8-1 record, had the seventh ranked defense in points allowed and fourth in yards allowed, and has an exciting collection of offensive weapons in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson. With the right quarterback, this Commanders roster is in a position to push for the postseason and Derek Carr could be that quarterback. The Commanders have a decent amount of cap space to cope with a veteran QB’s salary and while they may be reluctant to part with even more draft picks after last year, that may not even be an issue if Carr is cut.
The presence of former Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio in Washington is another reason the Commanders could move for Carr. Del Rio knows him extremely well after coaching him for three seasons from 2015-2017 and during that period Carr had arguably the best seasons of his career. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015, finished third in MVP voting in 2016 and earned another Pro Bowl nod in 2017. While Del Rio is now the defensive coordinator in Washington, he rates his former QB highly saying in December, “I like Derek. We won 12 games with Derek and had a really strong season with Derek, really three pretty good seasons with him. I think he's a good player.” Having a coach on the team who already knows him so intimately makes any Washington move for Carr less of a risk for them and the presence of a coach that he worked so well with previously would surely make a move more appealing for Carr himself. Derek Carr becoming a Commander this offseason makes a lot of sense for both parties.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have been chasing a franchise quarterback for the past few seasons. Last year they ended up bringing in Baker Mayfield to compete with Sam Darnold but Mayfield ended up leaving the team before the season was over. New head coach Frank Reich has had a rough couple of seasons with veteran quarterbacks himself having moved for Carson Wentz and then Matt Ryan during his time as Colts HC, with neither of those moves working out. In his introductory press conference, Reich stated straight way that, "You've got to have stability at quarterback”. The best way to achieve this is currently under discussion in Carolina. GM Scott Fitterer has spoken about the possibly of using the draft saying recently, "I think you've got to have conviction. If there's a guy in this class that you like, you got to go up and go get him. We're in a position now where we have a defense, we have an offensive line. We built around this for this opportunity”. He has spoken previously about the benefits of acquiring your franchise quarterback this way saying last offseason, “Ideally, if you have a young guy that you can drop in there, that's the most cost-efficient way to do it”, and so this is definitely an avenue the team will explore. Could the team be tempted by a veteran of Derek Carr’s quality though? He would be a good fit in Carolina and would be walking into a team with an offensive-minded head coach in Reich. In DJ Moore he would have a top receiver to target and as already mentioned, the Panthers have already worked on building the offensive line and defense in recent seasons. Now, they just need a quarterback to be able to fully compete. Derek Carr could be that quarterback.