Quarterback Derek Carr is still looking for a new team in the NFL, and the New Orleans Saints showed interest in the veteran on Tuesday.
Carr, still under contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, has been granted permission to tour the Louisiana facilities, according to ESPN.
• Read also: “There will always be a part of me that wants to play”
• Read also: Aaron Rodgers self-isolates for four days to reflect
The Raiders are looking for a trade partner ahead of the fateful February 15 date. That day, a clause in the 31-year-old center’s agreement would guarantee that he would receive $40.4 million from the pact he signed in April 2022.
Thus, if the Raiders do not find a taker for the Californian’s services in the coming days, they will be forced to release him. This would allow them to reduce their payroll by $29.3 million.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen knows Carr well. After leading the Raiders from 2012 to 2014, he was responsible for their selection in the second round of the 2014 draft.
Since the retirement of Drew Brees in 2020, the Saints have not made the playoffs in the two subsequent campaigns. They trusted Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill behind their center in 2023; a trio that led the team to a disappointing 7-10 record.
Meanwhile, Carr finished the Raiders’ season on the bench so his impending departure wouldn’t become a distraction for his teammates. He had 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns in 15 games and had 14 interceptions.
