The Derek Carr sweepstakes are over.
Weeks after it looked like the Saints might trade for Carr, the former Raiders quarterback has agreed to make New Orleans his next home.
Carr confirmed the news on Twitter.
Who dat ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/DIY8gBGuGu
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) March 6, 2023
Carr visited with the Saints before his release from the Raiders but spent time with the Jets and Panthers in the days after he became a free agent. The 31-year-old reportedly “hit it off” with the Jets, but New York might be hoping to make a play for Aaron Rodgers and Carr was clearly comfortable with the idea of heading to New Orleans.
Now, the Saints have might have their first long-term answer at quarterback since the end of the Drew Brees era.
MORE: Aaron Rodgers trade rumors: Contract is a ‘roadblock’ for teams looking to acquire Packers QB
Here’s what you need to know about Carr’s contract with the Saints.
Derek Carr contract details
Carr is receiving a four-year contract from the Saints, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The #Saints are giving their new QB Derek Carr a 4-year deal, source said. With a big QB number coming, they’ll make it work with their cap situation.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2023
The value of the deal isn’t known yet, but it could be a complicated contract. The Saints continue to fight salary cap troubles and might have to move some pieces around to fit what will be a hefty Carr salary into their budget.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported in February that Carr was seeking $35 million annually, and the Saints had to win a bidding war over the Jets, Panthers, and potentially others.
New Orleans has made moves to free up cap space this offseason, restructuring the deals of Ryan Ramczyk, Tyrann Mathieu, Erik McCoy, Marcus Maye, and Will Lutz to clear $31.4 million.
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A four-year commitment signals that the Saints view Carr as more than just a temporary fix at quarterback. New Orleans has shuffled between Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, at Andy Dalton since Brees’ retirement two years ago, going 16-17 and missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
An all-out pursuit of Carr signaled the Saints believe they have a roster ready to win now with the NFC South wide open after Tom Brady’s retirement.
Highest-paid NFL quarterbacks for 2023
Here’s a look at the highest-paid quarterbacks entering 2023 as we await full details on Carr’s deal.
| Quarterback | Annual salary |
| Aaron Rodgers | $50.3 million |
| Russell Wilson | $48.5 million |
| Kyler Murray | $46.1 million |
| Deshaun Watson | $46 million |
| Patrick Mahomes | $45 million |
| Josh Allen | $43 million |
| Dak Prescott | $40 million |
| Matthew Stafford | $40 million |
| Kirk Cousins | $35 million |
| Jared Goff | $33.5 million |