Derek Carr wasn’t always treated fairly when he was playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. The longtime franchise cornerstone of that group was given the majority of the blame for the team’s shortcomings.
However, there were always more problems outside of him. For one, his defense was always below average, their coaching was questionable at best, and the weapons on the outside were always changing. Now, he gets a fresh start for the first time in his NFL career, and he couldn’t be happier.
Derek Carr Couldn’t Be Happier
Carr recently signed with the New Orleans Saints in the offseason and hasn’t been shy about discussing his feelings over the decision. He said, “I’m happy to be somewhere where we’re in a stable organization that’s been proven for years. And I hope that the Raiders find something good there too, where they can keep that stability for the next guys because I know how important it I s and I care about my old teammates. But for the time being, I’m just excited to be a part of the Saints organization because they’ve won at a high level for a long time.”
The Saints have been contenders for much of the last decade outside of these past two seasons. And the reason for these last two seasons has been a gaping hole at quarterback, which is now filled.
This Is A Great Situation For Him
He also talked about how they’ve competed on the football field so far in training camp. He mentioned that they are always trash talking and trying to improve as a team. When you look at this Saints team though, they have the pieces on paper to compete for a Super Bowl. Have they proven that lately? No. Has Carr proven to be a Super Bowl type quarterback? Also no. This season for New Orleans truly rests upon what he can bring to an offense with a lot of talent.
The NFC South in particular couldn’t be any wider open. Tom Brady left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to go into retirement, leaving that team without a quarterback now following an already disappointing season. The Carolina Panthers improved drastically with Bryce Young and company, though are wildly unproven. And the Atlanta Falcons nabbed Bijan Robinson, but also have a what if at quarterback in Desmond Ridder. Carr and the Saints will be in a very competitive fight to make the postseason.
Luckily, Carr’s new teammates have a tremendous amount of faith in him already. Defensive end Cameron Jordan said that he plans to help get Carr into the Super Bowl as quick as possible.
Carr responded and said, “For a defensive leader to say that he wants to take me back there, just shows his heart. That’s his love for his teammate, that he wants to do something like that for his teammate. And that’s pretty much all our guys and that’s why I fell in love with the place.”
With their sights set high, now it’s time for Derek Carr and company to get to work ahead of the regular season.