Former Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr has signed a deal worth $150 million, including $100 million in total guarantees, with the New Orleans Saints, according to NFL Media.
Carr, who was pursued by the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, confirmed the news on Monday by posting a video of Saints star Tyrann Mathieu on social media.
Despite recent reports suggesting that the Jets were the frontrunners to land Carr, the Saints managed to lure the offseason’s top available quarterback. The 31-year-old had met staff from the Jets, Panthers and Saints since his release from the Las Vegas Raiders last month.
The Saints have failed to reach the playoffs since Drew Brees retired at the end of the 2020 season. Carr, who was a solid if unspectacular signal-caller for the Raiders since they drafted him in 2014, will be looking to lead the Saints back to the playoffs.
Carr’s contract is for four years, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He thanked Raiders fans with a post on Instagram: “I will miss all of you Raiders fans also. Thank you for an amazing 9 years.”
Carr set most significant quarterback records for the Raiders, including career passing yards, touchdown passes and passer rating. However, he appeared in just one playoff game for the team, and in his final season with the Raiders, he had career lows in passer rating and completion percentage.
Despite this, Carr has a good chance of making the playoffs next season in a weak NFC South, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without Tom Brady, who retired in February, while the Atlanta Falcons and Panthers have quarterback issues of their own.
