The incoming New Orleans Saints head coach will be in salary cap hell.
Derek Carr signed a four-year $150million contract in 2023 as the franchise adopted a win-now approach.
It all came tumbling down in 2024 with a 5-12 record resulting in the ninth pick in April’s NFL Draft and a search for a new coach.
Carr is owed almost $51.45m in 2025 and nearly all of it is dead cap.
The Saints are projected to need to save $60m next season, meaning negotiations and releases over the offseason.
Former Las Vegas Raiders passer Carr insists his salary is not up for debate.
“I wouldn’t take a pay cut,” he said. “Yeah, I wouldn’t do that. Especially with what I put on tape.
“Would I restructure? Absolutely. I’ll always help the team that way. But there’s some things that you put out there that you earned. Even in some cases it could be even worse, but I felt confident when I signed it that this would give the team the best flexibility at the time.
“But there’s always a kind of respect as a quarterback you’re like, well still we’re in that respectful lane. We’re good. Build the team.
“But yeah, I wouldn’t take anything less to do this. It’s hard enough putting our bodies through it. And you’re trying to get everything you can for your family for it.”
Fans were not impressed with Carr’s comments after a losing record.
One wrote: “I would release this guy so fast who does he think he is?”
“Get him out of there,” another blasted.
“Probably the stupidest thing he could have said,” a third posted.
“Bro thinks he’s prime Drew Brees or something,” one joked.
Carr’s future will be the first big test for whoever takes over as head coach.
With a more manageable cap hit of $28.6million in 2026, it is possible the next season will be his last in New Orleans.
Rookie Spencer Rattler didn’t do enough to take over the starting job and will likely fight it out with Carr next season.
“I got to take care of myself and then the rest after that is really out of my hands,” Carr said Monday. “I’ve had great conversations with everyone in this building with [general manager] Mickey [Loomis], with [owner] Ms. [Gayle] Benson, with everybody.
“And we all have mutual feelings and so my confidence level is very high and what can happen, what could happen. And we’ve shown what it could possibly be at times.
“The hard part is we had to deal with some stuff that we didn’t get to see that full picture all the time. So we’ll see.”
Carr managed 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 10 games last season after struggling with an oblique injury.
The Saints have requested head coaching interviews with Detroit Lions DC Aaron Glenn, New York Giants OC Mike Kafka, Philadelphia Eagles OC Kellen Moore, former Stanford HC David Shaw, and Miami Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver.
Interim coach Darren Rizzi, who took over when Dennis Allen was fired in November, will also have a chance to make his case for the full-time gig.
“People can form their own opinions about Derek Carr and again, they’re entitled to those,” he said.
“We didn’t win a game when he didn’t start.”
The Saints finished 3-5 under Rizzi in 2024. Their record is 14-13 in games Carr started under center over the past two seasons.
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