Former NFL quarterback is not a fan of Derek Carr, and he's not shy about telling that to a national audience.
During FOX's coverage of Week 17 of the NFL season, during which Carr and the Saints dismantled the Bucs, he doubled down on his take from earlier this season regarding the New Orleans quarterback.
"When you take a castoff from the Raiders and think he's your franchise's savior, that's a big mistake," Bradshaw said on the broadcast. "Derek Carr, although he's played well the last two weeks, he is not the answer."
The Saints are 8-8 on the season and have a chance to win the NFC South or a wild card, with a bit of help elsewhere, based on the results in Week 18. Carr's stats have been right around his season average, as he's completed 67.9% of his throws for 3,614 yards and 21 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. That is not enough for the 75-year-old Bradshaw, who won four Super Bowl titles in his 14-year run as QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bradshaw is a Shreveport native and says he remains a Saints fan.
"They have got to find themselves a quarterback down there," Bradshaw continued. "They are a good football team, well coached by Dennis Allen, but they sorely need that great quarterback to build around."
Carr, who was signed to a 4-year, $150 million deal this past offseason, has been the subject of significant criticism in his first season with the Saints after spending his first 9 with the Raiders, though he's been more effective as the season has worn on and is tied for the NFL lead with six games of 300 or more yards passing. His most recent performance wasn't a big yardage day, but he was efficient, completing 24 of 32 attempts for 197 yards and two touchdowns while not turning the ball over in a 23-13 Saints win to keep their season alive. His best day came against the Giants in Week 15, completing 82% of his passes (23 of 28) for three touchdowns and no turnovers.
Allen attributed improved health -- Carr had battled shoulder and rib injuries throughout much the season -- as a factor in the improved play.
[shortcode-inline-related expand="1" link="/wwl/news/saints/detillier-to-saints-bring-in-a-young-quarterbackquickly" headline="Detillier to Saints: "Bring in a young quarterback…quickly"" image="/media-library/image.jpg?id=64218014"]"Nobody is 100% healthy this time of year, but I think he’s closer to that now than maybe where he was a month, month and a half ago," Allen said after the Week 17 win. "So, yea, I think he’s been performing much better over the last call it month or six weeks of the season, and I think a lot of that is health-related.”
It's unlikely Carr will be winning over Bradshaw anytime soon, but he could win over the locals if he can put together another winning performance in a Week 18 showdown against the Falcons at the Superdome. The Saints can still win the NFC South with a win over the Falcons and a Panthers win over the Bucs, and a wild card berth is also a possibility if the Seahawks lose to the Cardinals and the Packers lose to the Bears.
