Soon-to-be-former Raiders QB Derek Carr won't be joining the New Orleans Saints by trade, and he won't be joining any other team, either, at least not before he becomes a free agent.
The veteran quarterback informed the Raiders this weekend that he would veto any trade, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Carr has a full no-trade clause in his current contract, allowing him to effectively guarantee he will be a free agent with the team expected to release him prior to Feb. 15, when his $40 million in contract guarantees kick on.
The news ends the possibility for Carr to end up as the Saints quarterback on his current deal. He had been granted permission to speak with the Saints and had visited over the past week with New Orleans weighing a potential trade. Carr's current deal, which has 3 years and roughly $120 million remaining, was always going to be a complex thing to manage for a Saints team that also has to navigate under the salary cap.
There will still be the opportunity for the Saints to bring in Carr as a free agent, though they'll be contending with other potential suitors and it's likely his new deal will be even more lucrative. The crop of free agent quarterbacks is not particularly strong heading into 2023 and is now headlined by Carr, along with Giants QB Daniel Jones, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Seahawks QB Geno Smith and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, who will likely be put on a franchise tag.
Whether Carr or someone else, the Saints retain possibly their biggest question at the most important position. Andy Dalton, who started the final 14 games for the Saints last year, is a free agent. Jameis Winston, who was bypassed on the depth chart midseason as he recovered from multiple injuries, is still on the roster, though it feels unlikely he is brought back as the starter. The Saints hold the No. 29 pick in the upcoming draft.
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