Derek Carr Didn't Just Speak To Saints This Offseason

There was a lot of drama this offseason involving the New Orleans Saints and quarterback Derek Carr but that now is behind both parties.

New Orleans likely has its quarterback of the future in Tyler Shough and Carr announced his retirement from the National Football League after a successful 11-year career that saw him earn four Pro Bowl nods.

Before the retirement announcement, there was a lot of buzz about his future in the organization. Early in the offseason, there were even reports that Carr was potentially open to playing elsewhere in 2025. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Katherine Terrell shared a column on Friday in which they dissected all of the details of the offseason drama between the two parties. One interesting nugget that came from the column was the fact that they reported that a representative for Carr spoke to at least two teams this offseason.

"A Carr representative spoke with at least two teams in the market for a quarterback about potential interest in the veteran, according to three league sources," Fowler and Terrell reported. "While one of the sources classified the contact as indirect, both front offices were made aware that Carr might be looking for a new playing home.

"A Saints source said no permission was given in writing for Carr to speak to other teams. A separate Saints source said the team heard whispers of Carr's flirtation with other teams but didn't consider it a major issue, in part because Carr, after 11 years in the league and playing through injuries, had earned the right to evaluate his future. Outside talks never reached a serious point, according to sources who have familiarity with the conversations."

It was a roller coaster to kick off the offseason, but now both sides can put their focus elsewhere.

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