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New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr said he “wouldn’t take a pay cut” amid the team’s dire cap space situation heading into next season.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t do that,” he said, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “Especially with what I put on tape. Would I restructure? Absolutely. I’ll always help the team that way. But there’s some things that you put out there that you earned. Even in some cases it could be even worse, but I felt confident when I signed it that this would give the team the best flexibility at the time.”
The Saints have the worst cap-space situation in the league at minus-$78.5 million, nearly $55.1 million worse than the second-worst, the Cleveland Browns.
Despite this, 33-year-old believes he should receive added respect given his position as quarterback.
“There’s always a kind of respect as a quarterback you’re like, well still we’re in that respectful lane,” he said. “‘We’re good. Build the team.’ But yeah, I wouldn’t take anything less to do this. It’s hard enough putting our bodies through it. And you’re trying to get everything you can for your family for it.”
The veteran quarterback is due $40 million next year, counting as $51.45 million against the salary cap in 2025 if his contract is not restructured, per Terrell. With Carr holding the largest salary-cap figure, the Saints will have to significantly restructure or release several contracts to become cap compliant heading into the offseason.
“That’s the life of a quarterback,” he said. “Whenever the season doesn’t end the way (you wanted) that’s the person people look at. ‘Well what money can we free up to get this and do this’ … and I’m fully confident with what I put on tape. I’m not worried, if that’s the case, and it had to change and all that kind of stuff. I’m super confident that whatever it is, I could get anywhere else to play. And so I’m not worried about that, but at the same time, I just want to win.”
Carr was 5-5 as a starter with the Saints before suffering a concussion and a broken left hand during the team’s Week 14 victory over the New York Giants.
With backup quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, New Orleans did not win a game, finishing the season 5-12.
