Derek Carr is one of the hottest free agents in the league right now and could feasibly land on any quarterback-needy team. How about one in the NFC South?
No, not the New Orleans Saints. The Carolina Panthers are apparently the betting favorites to sign Derek Carr, followed by the Saints, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New England Patriots.
The former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Carr forced his release out of the franchise this past week and has plenty of suitors lining up in free agency. He was previously rumored to join the Saints as NOLA and Las Vegas has reportedly agreed to terms on a potential trade, but everything fell apart after Carr essentially vetoed that deal.
The Carolina Panthers now step in as a dark horse contender for Carr, having gotten queasy from riding the quarterback carousel for too long. In recent seasons, the Panthers have brought in Teddy Bridgewater, Cam Newton, and Baker Mayfield to serve as a viable stop-gap veteran at the quarterback position, each of whom didn’t last very long.
The franchise went through a drastic turnaround after firing head coach Matt Rhule in the middle of the 2022 season and recently hiring former Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich, which many considered an excellent decision.
The Carolina Panthers have entered the Derek Carr free agency chat
Reich was actually the Panthers’ first starting quarterback in franchise history, signing with the team during its inaugural season in 1995, and he will have the most weight to throw around when it comes to picking Carolina’s next signal-caller in 2023.
With Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker set to enter free agency, the Panthers have 2022 third-rounder Matt Corral as their sole quarterback under contract for 2023.
If the Panthers decide to pick up another veteran quarterback who can help a raw talent like Corral learn the ropes, they could do much worse than Derek Carr. Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler, threw for 3,500-plus yards and 24 touchdowns this past season and stands out as one of the more desirable free agent quarterbacks available.
As for the larger implications in the NFC South, the Saints lost co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen to the Atlanta Falcons earlier this offseason and could be the victim of yet another division rival poaching their desired target.
It’s all up to Carr now.
