The Saints sounded just as excited as many of their fans Monday afternoon as the persistent QB question was put to bed.
"Got our guy," read the social media post officially announcing that the team had come to terms with the former Raiders QB after a fairly long courting process that also included the Panthers and Jets.
It was also a fair distillation of the process in general, in which the Saints appeared focused on Carr throughout and ultimately inked him to a 4-year deal that is reported to be worth $150 million.
“We are excited to welcome Derek Carr to the New Orleans Saints,” said Saints GM Mickey Loomis in a news release. “Derek’s experience, leadership and skillset will be an asset to our offense.”
But there's likely no one happier about the result than Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who was the head coach with the Raiders in 2014 when they drafted Carr in the second round out of Fresno State. He was the coach that opted to start the rookie in Week 1 of that season, a job he held down until late in the 2022 season, when a split between the QB and his team was clearly imminent.
“I had the opportunity to work with Derek at the start of his professional football career,” Allen said in the release. “In addition to his talent, I admired his approach to the game, work ethic and commitment to get better every day in what were the formative stages of his career. From afar and when we played him as an opponent, I saw Derek’s development into one of the most productive quarterbacks in the National Football League. Derek is an outstanding addition to the New Orleans Saints and I can’t wait to get working with him and the rest of our team this offseason.”
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The move puts the Saints in an enviable position in the NFC South, with the lone established quarterback among the four teams. But it does come at a cost, literally. The Saints currently sit $18 million over the salary cap prior to the Carr signing, and they'll have to do some of their more impressive maneuvering yet to not only clear that money, but also find space for their incoming draft class and free agents to fill any roster holes.
But that's an issue that can be solved over the next several days. For now the team can celebrate a free agent win. The next cap question doesn't have to be answered until 3 p.m. (central) on March 15, the start of the new league year, at which point all teams are required to be cap compliant.
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