The New Orleans Saints made one of their most crucial decisions of the early offseason Saturday before the start of free agency.
With the legal tampering period Set to arrive Monday afternoon, the Saints finally decided what to do with the major contract decision surrounding quarterback Derek Carr. Entering Saturday, Carr held a $51.4 million salary-cap hit that was causing a major burden on New Orleans’ overall financial status.
However, the Saints reportedly converted most of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus, which both alleviates some stress against the salary cap and signals that Carr will be the team’s starting quarterback for at least one more season.
Though Carr was previously set to account for a $51.4 million cap hit, per Spotrac, the conversion will pay major dividends for the Saints immediately. The decision will free up roughly $30 million against the salary cap, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
Before the move, the Saints were roughly $38.8 million over the $279.2 million salary cap set by the league, per Spotrac. There are still moves to make, but this was the big domino.
Carr will be entering his third season as the starting quarterback in New Orleans. The four-time Pro Bowler helped lead the Saints to a 9-8 record during his first campaign in 2023, throwing for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns eight interceptions and a 97.7 passer rating.
However, Carr’s second season with New Orleans was marred by injuries. He appeared in 10 games while dealing with an oblique injury that forced him to miss three contests as well as a concussion that kept him off the field for the final four games of the season.
Carr completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 101.0 passer rating during the 2024 season. The Saints finished with a 5-12 record and a 5-5 record with Carr as the starter.
The 34-year-old is far from his prime, but this restructure is a clear signal that he will be under center as the Kellen Moore era gets underway in New Orleans.
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