Derek Carr is officially a Saint after the quarterback signed his contract with New Orleans on Saturday.
The Saints agreed to a four-year contract worth $150 million on Monday to acquire the outgoing quarterback from the Las Vegas Raiders.
And it became a done deal on Saturday as the official New Orleans Twitter account shared photos of the 31-year-old putting pen to paper on the contract.
Carr’s future with the team that drafted him in 2014 was effectively over even before the end of last season. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was benched in late December. The Raiders were 6-11, missing the playoffs a year after going 10-7 and reaching the Wildcard Round.
Details of the new deal remain unclear, but the four-year deal is worth $150 million, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport. The deal also includes $100 million in guarantees, according to Report.
The move represented the first domino to fall in the NFL’s offseason quarterback market.
Quarterback-hungry teams such as the New York Jets have now had to turn to Green Bay Packers legend Aaron Rodgers, who is still considering his NFL future as he remains under contract. until the 2026 season, when he turns 43.
The Jets are said to be “optimistic” about securing a trade for Rodgers after team officials flew out to meet with the quarterback this week.
Carr met with Jets chiefs last week before reaching an agreement with the Saints.
“We are thrilled to welcome Derek Carr to the New Orleans Saints,” Saints executive vice president and general manager Mickey Loomis said Monday.
“Derek’s experience, leadership and skills will be an asset to our offense.”
New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen added, “I had the opportunity to work with Derek early in his professional football career.
“In addition to his talent, I admired his approach to the game, his work ethic and his commitment to improving every day in the formative stages of his career.
“From afar and when we played him as an opponent, I saw Derek’s development into one of the most productive quarterbacks in the National Football League. Derek is an exceptional addition to the Saints of New Orleans and look forward to working with him and the rest of our team this offseason.
Carr was released by the Raiders on Feb. 14 after refusing to waive his no-trade clause — something that would have guaranteed his contract’s final $40 million over the next two years.
The decision allowed Carr to begin the search for a new employer, which appears to have ended before NFL free agency even began on March 15.
Carr, 31, followed in his older brother David’s footsteps by enrolling at Fresno State, where he played alongside future Raiders teammate wide receiver Davante Adams.
Taken in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Carr is the Raiders’ all-time leader in assists (35,222) and touchdowns (217), but he only has a record of 63. -79 as a starter and didn’t win a playoff. game with silver and black.
He was seen as a potential workaround in New York, where the Jets hope to resuscitate young Zach Wilson’s career or find another franchise quarterback in the near future.
Instead, Carr decided to go to New Orleans, where the Saints went 7-10 last year as starter Jameis Winston battled a back injury. The former Heisman winner signed a two-year, $28 million contract with New Orleans before the season, but was eventually demoted in favor of Andy Dalton.