Derek Carr NFL Betting Odds for 2023/24 Season With?

NFL free agency officially opens on March 15 with the start of the new league year, but players who are released from their contracts before that can sign immediately. That now includes four-time Raiders Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr as the Silver & Black cut him on Tuesday before his $40.3 million contract for 2023 became guaranteed.

QB Derek Carr Officially Hits NFL Free-Agent Market: Saints, Panthers Favored Landing Spots

“We wish the @Raiders the best of luck,” Carr’s agent, Tim Younger, said in a tweeted statement. “This is the tough part of this business. That’s the point; it’s just business. Time now to reset for both sides. Derek chooses to hold on to many good memories and friendships, without any ill will. That’s who he is. Onward and upward.”

Carr’s time with Las Vegas essentially ended when first-year coach Josh McDaniels benched him for the final two games of the regular season and Carr left the team – with McDaniels’ permission to avoid being a distraction. The Raiders were hoping to trade Carr and he visited with New Orleans last week. The Saints did make an offer to Las Vegas, but Carr told the team he would not waive his no-trade clause for any deal. Why would Carr want to help the Raiders when they embarrassed him? In free agency, he gets to choose his own team, so Las Vegas had no choice but to cut him.

That the Saints already hosted Carr and his wife for two days and made an offer for him puts them in the driver’s seat. It’s a talented roster and Coach Dennis Allen was the Raiders’ head coach for the first four games of Carr’s 2014 rookie season before Allen was fired. The NFC South is very winnable with quarterback questions on all four teams. Carr is a warm-weather QB from California so he wouldn’t have to worry about any cold-weather games inside the NFC South. New Orleans plays in a dome, and Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Carolina are the other teams.

Carr has issues in cold-weather games, going 2-10 with a total QBR of 33.6 (44th out of 47 qualified QBs), a 58.0% completion percentage and a 14-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio in games where the temperature is 40 degrees or colder. He is 1-7 with a 35.5 QBR (35th out of 46 QBs) and an 8-9 TD-INT ratio when the game is played at 32 degrees or colder.

Carr has been extremely durable throughout his NFL career, though, and his 142 starts since entering the NFL in 2014 is tied with Tom Brady for the most by a quarterback in that span.

With the Saints expected to not bring back either Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton, QB is a huge need. The team holds only the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and likely will not find next year’s starter that late. The Saints are currently more than $59 million over the 2023 salary cap, so they will have to do some gymnastics to sign Carr, but New Orleans somehow manages to do that every year. So whether it’s Carr or not, it appears the Saints’ starting QB is more likely to be a veteran.

The Bucs will kick the tires on Carr to replace the retired Brady and also have been linked to Jimmy Garoppolo. Carolina only has Matt Corral, who missed his entire rookie season injured, and Jacob Eason currently under contract at quarterback. New head coach Frank Reich is in the process of putting together arguably the best coaching staff in team history.

The New York Jets have their eyes on a trade for Aaron Rodgers but could look to Carr if they don’t think Green Bay will take a reasonable offer for the four-time MVP Rodgers. However, Carr obviously would have to play cold-weather games in New York and some believe he is too sensitive to handle the New York media. The Jets’ new passing-game coordinator, Todd Downing, also has experience with Carr, as his QB coach (2015) and offensive coordinator (2016) with the Raiders.

The Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans also could be in the mix. The Commanders definitely will do something at QB, while the Titans may decide to move on from Ryan Tannehill.

Meanwhile, the Raiders, who have only one quarterback under contract, Chase Garbers, are searching for a full-time starter at QB for the first time since Carr won the job as a rookie in 2014. Las Vegas was hoping to sign Brady but that’s off the table. Now the team may turn to Rodgers.