Report: Carr won’t accept any trade, Raiders expected to release him

Sunday, February 12 update: Carr has informed Las Vegas that he will not be waiving his no-trade clause for the Saints or any team, per Ian Rapoport. He is now expected to become a free agent and can sign with whatever team wants him. The framework of a deal was in place, per Tom Pelissero, but the $40.4 million fully guaranteed on his contract if a trade were to happen was the issue.

Thursday, February 9 Update: Carr is back at the Saints headquarters today, per Nick Underhill. Wednesday’s meeting between the two parties reportedly lasted until 10:30 p.m. While no deal has been agreed to at the time of this update, a second visit shows how interested the Saints are in Carr as their future quarterback. We know other teams also have interest, but it hasn’t been reported that Carr has pursued other meetings.

The New Orleans Saints have invited QB Derek Carr for a visit, and the Las Vegas Raiders have approved it, per Ian Rapoport. Carr’s time in Las Vegas has seemingly come to an end, as both parties seem intent on parting ways for new opportunities ahead of next season.

Las Vegas finished the 2022 season with a 6-11 record in third place in the AFC West. Expectations were for them to be more competitive in a tough division. Whether it was the team’s performance or something else, Las Vegas decided to bench Carr with two weeks left to go in the regular season. The QB finished the year having played in 15 games and completed 60.8% of his passes for 3,522 yards with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

The Saints didn’t fare much better. New Orleans ended the year in third place in a winnable NFC South with a 7-10 record. The team began the year with Jameis Winston as their quarterback, but injuries forced Andy Dalton into the long-term starting role. Despite the season that Carr had last season, he would be an immediate improvement over either Winston or Dalton looking ahead.

It remains to be seen what exactly Las Vegas is trying to have happen with Carr. They have to either trade or release him before February 15, or they owe him about $40 million in guarantees. His salary is hefty, so there isn’t much reason for a team to trade for Carr, so it seems like his release and signing with a team in free agency is the most likely. Either way, the quarterback also has a no-trade clause, so it could be an interesting week for the veteran.