With the Super Bowl over and the NFL offseason beginning, one of the biggest storylines to watch out for is the quarterback position. With the 2025 NFL Draft already short on quarterback options, teams are looking at each other for options, and one NFL insider believes the New Orleans Saints’ Derek Carr is available on the trade market.
NFL Executives Reveal Saints Are Ready To Trade Derek Carr
Carr came to the Saints after the Las Vegas Raiders cut him two years ago. Initially agreeing on a four-year deal, the team can pivot after 2025, and his first two seasons in New Orleans haven’t gone as planned.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora revealed that multiple executives told him Carr is on the trade market because of their salary cap issues and Carr’s contract, which carries a $51.458 million cap hit.
“The New Orleans Saints, who are in about as horrendous of a salary cap situation as imaginable, are letting those who inquire know they would be willing to play this season with Spencer Rattler if someone wants to take Derek Carr off their hands. He also has a terrible contract, and nothing the Saints do this offseason will be easy.”
In addition to a looming $51.458 million cap hit, Carr’s contract includes $30 million of guaranteed money that kicks in on the third day of the league year. Albeit unlikely, if the hand injury isn’t fully healed, he has an injury guarantee that would vest the entire sum to him.
While the Saints can restructure Carr’s deal, cutting him wouldn’t completely solve their salary issues either, as he would still account for nearly $22 million in dead money (with a post-June 1 cut) in 2025.
Even though Carr was adequate individually, the team faltered, finishing 5-12 this year after ending last season at 9-8. Making matters worse was the Saints’ poor luck — Carr missed the final four games of the season with a hand injury.
However, 2024 still turned out to be Carr’s best year in New Orleans, and according to PFSN’s QB+ metric, he had the 11th-highest grade in the league at 83.7 (B). That number put him ahead of names like Sam Darnold and Jordan Love and just one spot shy of Patrick Mahomes.
He ranked 11th in EPA/DB (0.11) and finished the year 12th when working under pressure (-0.20 EPA/DB). Carr was also ninth in TD/INT rate (3.0) and inside the top 10 for nYPA (7.5; sixth), albeit with a 10th-ranked 5.8 YAC/Cp.
Meanwhile, the Saints have been trying to cheat the NFL salary cap for quite some time. It began when Drew Brees was holding down quarterback duties as the team borrowed from the future to expand upon its championship window. However, they’ve continued with the practice even in the post-Brees era, minus the success.