New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr wasn’t happy with how his career ended with the Las Vegas Raiders. Carr explained he was benched last season, saying he was “very upset” with the way things turned out.
After starting the first 15 games of the regular season, Carr was benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham. The Raiders lost their last two games and Carr signed with the Saints in the offseason.
Carr, in particular, was upset that he didn’t get one last chance to play in front of Raiders fans once again, according to the Fresno Bee’s Anthony Galaviz.
“I was, for lack of a better term, I was very upset; I was crazy,” he said.
“You spend nine years in a place, you have all the records and you can play at a high level and for something that hinders you, whether for some reason, money related or otherwise, injury related. , I would have said that I don’t even want the money, just to play two more times in front of our fans. I didn’t have that opportunity. So, it definitely ignited a fire in me to continue.
The bench ended a frustrating season for Carr. He threw for 24 touchdowns against 14 interceptions in 15 games. His 60.8 completion percentage was his lowest since his rookie season. While those numbers were good enough to get Carr to the Pro Bowl, they didn’t help the Raiders win. Carr went just 6-9 as a starter.
It was a disappointing end for Carr with the Raiders. The team selected Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and saw him start nearly every regular season game for them over the next nine seasons.
Carr has enjoyed great success with the Raiders. He made three Pro Bowls with the team and finished third in MVP voting in 2016, when he helped lead the team to a 12-4 record. Despite this success, Carr made one playoff game for the Raiders, a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021.
Carr will be looking for a bounce-back season with the Saints after signing a four-year, $150 million contract with the team in the offseason. The Saints have been looking for a solid option under center since Drew Brees retired after the 2020 NFL season. Carr should provide that, but unless he takes his game to another level, his presence is unlikely to stop the Saints from looking for better, younger options under centre.