The New Orleans Saints did not win over many fans after signaling their intention to stick with Derek Carr next season.
Carr is entering the third year of his 4-year, $150 million contract with the Saints. Given his lackluster production over his first two seasons in New Orleans, there has understandably been a lot of chatter about Carr taking a pay cut. However, the 33-year-old QB has held firm that he does not plan on lowering his salary but is willing to restructure his deal.
Reports emerged on Saturday that the Saints had discussed “multiple options” with Carr regarding his compensation. But true enough, Carr did not end up taking a pay cut nor even have his deal restructured to move money forward.
The Saints instead committed to virtually all of his $40 million salary for next season. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the move served as the “ultimate sign” that the Saints are riding with Carr for at least one more year.
Many Saints fans were not happy about the news. Several of them expressed their frustration at both Carr and the team on social media.
When he spoke to reporters in January, Carr sounded confident that the Saints would bring him back. But even then, Carr admitted that being cut or traded was not out of the question.
Carr played just 10 games last season due to injuries. He finished the year with 2,145 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. The Saints went 5-5 during Carr’s starts and went 0-7 when he was on the sidelines.
