Derek Carr starts over with Saints, hopes to ‘just make it football again’

Greg Auman

NFC South Reporter

Derek Carr is adjusting to a new team for the first time in nine years, so it’s no surprise that he thinks establishing a personal connection with his new teammates is crucial to his success with the Saints this fall.

“I’m trying to make it a point to reach out and get to know these guys,” Carr said last week as New Orleans wrapped up offseason workouts with a mandatory minicamp. “Asking them questions, making sure I’m communicating with everybody, making sure that they know, no matter what section of the sideline they’re on … whatever part of the huddle you’re in, whatever position, that you know something about me and I know something about you. If you want to go fast, you go alone, but if you want to go far, you’ve got to go together.”

Carr, 32, comes to New Orleans on a massive $150 million, four-year deal, but he is also coming off a down year, matching his career high with 14 interceptions and posting the lowest quarterback rating since his rookie year in 2014. His awareness of that will motivate him to be a different player in New Orleans.

“I don’t think they got the best version of me,” Carr said of his final year with the Raiders, going 6-9 as a starter. “There was so much going on, and I didn’t really sit down and just make it football again. Football is the ultimate team game. It’s about your teammates, about loving one another, about having each other’s back and making sure there’s a certain level of respect between each other. … I’m just trying to be a better teammate every year.”

Carr has always been a prolific passer — 35,222 career yards and 217 touchdown passes — but hasn’t had a postseason relevance to go with that. He’s played in only one playoff game, losing a close game to the Bengals in 2021, and has a chance to change that in an NFC South that didn’t have a team with a winning record last season.

Statistically, Carr had the same basic numbers as the Saints totaled last year, with 24 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. But for New Orleans, addressing the quarterback position in a big way was an important step, two years after an era ended with the retirement of Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton.

“Quarterback is the most important position on the field,” head coach Dennis Allen said last week. “When you have a highly skilled player, a highly intelligent player, a guy that works the way Derek does, a guy that has the type of leadership qualities that Derek has, that’s going to filter throughout the whole football team, players and coaches. I think that gives you a lot of confidence going into the season.”

Carr talked to reporters for 25 minutes last week, and it was clear how much time he’s spent with his new teammates. He spoke at length about the strengths of players like receiver Chris Olave, linebacker Demario Davis and running back Alvin Kamara. He has gone bowfishing with teammates, talked about he and his kids embracing LSU football in SEC country, conceding that his alma mater, Fresno State, isn’t really part of the conversation in his new home.

Stafford, Hurts, Carr among Colin Cowherd’s top 10 NFC QBs

He’s one of the most experienced players on the roster, and yet Carr is a newcomer, trying to understand a new offense and its nuances, and that puts him in a position where any player can help him get to where he wants to be this summer.

“I’ve been trying to ask every question possible,” Carr said. “Even if I kind of know the answer, I just ask it again, just to make sure.”

Carr is used to being on the other side of that conversation — his time with the Raiders in Oakland and Las Vegas was constantly changing, including Allen, who was fired as head coach just four games into Carr’s rookie year. Counting interims, he played for six head coaches and five coordinators in those nine years, so he was the one constantly helping teammates understand new schemes.

“I see the same thing here, and I love that,” Carr said of the shared learning. “That’s like my coffee in the morning. It gets me excited.”

Carr isn’t the only new piece in New Orleans, which now has a second top-tier back in Jamaal Williams and a new defensive coordinator in Joe Woods, working with a largely revamped defensive line. That will all come together when training camp starts a month from now, but Carr has been focused on resetting himself and handling 2023 much better than he did last season.

“They didn’t get my best, and that drove me crazy at the end of the year,” Carr said. “I felt so spread out in so many different ways. It’s hard for you to understand because it’s what’s happening in my mind and in my life. … I just didn’t feel like myself.

“It wasn’t like I wasn’t trying. You sit back and you learn, and ‘Wow. I’ve got to do this, this, this and this.’ Get back to making it simple, and about team and about football. For me, I’ve tried my best to get back to that. Hopefully it leads to some success.”

Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience