Did Derek Carr just take a shot at the Raiders?
Saints quarterback Derek Carr wants the Raiders to know he’s thriving on his new team. Nothing but winning vibes here.
Derek Carr joined the New Orleans Saints earlier this offseason and hasn’t looked back since. Well, he’s looked back a few times to flip the bird to his old team, the Las Vegas Raiders, after they unceremoniously shoved him out the door.
Following nine seasons in Las Vegas, Carr agreed to a four-year, $150 million deal with the Saints back in March. The deal appeared to benefit both sides: NOLA acquired a proven Pro-Bowl-caliber quarterback to get the franchise back to winning ways, and Carr got a much-needed change in scenery.
Carr recently spoke about life in the Saints facility, saying that switching teams has “rejuvenated” him and given him a “breath of fresh air,” fresh compared to the stale oxygen that barely kept him alive in Vegas.
In his last season with the Raiders, Carr threw for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns against 14 interceptions in 15 games, stumbling to a 6-9 record before backup Jarrett Stidham took over for the final two games.
Derek Carr is slowly getting over his trauma from the Raiders
Drafted by the Raiders in 2014, Carr spent nearly a decade helping Las Vegas climb to the top of the AFC West but only managed to finish with two winning seasons, one in 2016 and one in 2021.
Quarterback wins are more or less an unimportant stat (tell that to the Chargers social media team), and despite staying healthy throughout his entire stint with the Raiders, Carr seemed to have a clear-cut ceiling in Vegas.
While the Raiders are going through their Patriot-ization this offseason, the Saints have been picking up a few notable ex-Raider players including Carr and tight end Foster Moreau.
The end of the Drew Brees era saw the Saints frantically try to patchwork their quarterback room with the likes of Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton; after Howie Roseman the Philly wizard snuck off with their draft picks last offseason, New Orleans’ best bet was to find a reliable veteran to keep the franchise competitive in the short-term. Derek Carr is that guy, and both sides couldn’t be happier.
Feelings may change depending on how the 2023 season shakes out, but it appears as though Derek Carr has come out of this offseason reborn as a new quarterback. Out west, the Raiders have already moved on and given Carr’s old number to someone else on the team — chances, are, Carr couldn’t care less.
