In 17 games during the 2024 NFL season, the Saints finished 5-12. That was third in the NFC South and New Orleans has the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. This past season, the team was dealing with injuries on offense. At QB, Derek Carr started 10 of 17 games in 2024.
The veteran signal-caller missed seven total games in 2024 due to injury. Before this past season, he’d never started less than 15 games in a single season. Carr missed the final four games of the 2024 season with a fractured hand. When speaking to the media, Derek Carr said he is not interested in taking a pay cut this offseason. He will count an NFL-record $51.46MM against the cap in 2025. We’ll see if New Orleans makes any changes at QB this offseason.
Derek Carr would be open to restructuring his contract but not a pay cut
NEWS: #Saints QB Derek Carr says he won’t take a pay cut, despite making $40 million this season, because his family needs to get everything they can.
“I wouldn’t take a pay cut. Especially with what I put on tape. I’ll always help the team that way. Some things you earned.” pic.twitter.com/MbLWquZ5Wy
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 7, 2025
Next season will be year three of Derek Carr’s four-year, $150 million deal with the Saints. In his first season with the Saints, Carr was 9-8 and the team missed the postseason. Year two was not as successful for the veteran QB. The former second-round pick by the Raiders in 2014 only played 10 games for the Saints in 2024. Carr had an oblique injury early in the year and then suffered a fractured hand late in the season. Heading into 2025, all options are on the table for the Saints.
Derek Carr is confident that his play has earned him the right to remain the Saints starting QB. We’ll see if that remains true this offseason. New Orleans could cut Carr and have a $50.13 million dead cap in 2025. The Broncos did something similar with Russell Wilson when they wanted to release him. In 10 starts this season, Carr passed for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The veteran QB said he would restructure his contract this offseason but he will not take a pay cut. Tough decisions lie ahead for the Saints who also need to find a new head coach.
