Derek Carr is saying all of the right things as he joins the New Orleans Saints, and that continued with his praise of legendary Saints quarterback Drew Brees at his introductory press conference on Saturday.
“I’m not coming here trying to be Drew Brees. That man is a Hall of Fame quarterback,” Carr said, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell. “I’m coming here to be Derek Carr.”
Carr said he sent Drew Brees a text and Brees called him back to answer all of the questions Carr had about his new franchise before he signed.
Carr and the Saints agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract that includes $100 million in total guarantees, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Monday morning, with the team announcing the news shortly after.
Welcome home @DerekCarrQB ⚜️ #Saints pic.twitter.com/chWTjTNhrN
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 11, 2023
Carr will get $70 million effectively fully guaranteed with $60 million due at signing and another $10 million in Year 3 vesting after Year 1, as well as a no-trade clause, just as his most recent deal with the Raiders had, per NFL.com.
The 31-year-old Carr said that the warmth and love he's felt from the city of New Orleans and the entire organization has been “unbelievable,” per Terrell. He also thanked the Las Vegas Raiders and said he wouldn't be where he is without them.
The Saints played the Raiders once in 2022, with New Orleans clobbering Carr's old team, 24-0, on Oct. 30. Carr remarked that he was “so pissed off” at the time of the loss, but thinks it's great to have the opportunity to play with a defense of that quality in 2023 and beyond.
“I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t have a chip on my shoulder with how everything finished…it lit a fire in me that I’ve always had, but it just made it hotter.”
Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints figure to be a problem in the NFC South next year.
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