The New Orleans Saints have reportedly reworked quarterback Derek Carr’s contract with the move, bringing them significant salary cap savings.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Saints converted a significant portion of Carr’s $30 million base salary for the upcoming season into a signing bonus. This will bring them around $23 million in salary cap relief.
Doing large contract restructures isn’t new for the Saints. It became a tradition for the team to be well over the cap ahead of the upcoming NFL season and rely on extensions and contract restructures to comply with salary cap rules. Aside from reworking Carr’s contract, the job became easier for the Saints thanks to the league increasing salary cap in 2024 by $30.6 million to a record $255.4 million per team.
Derek Carr signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints last offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler had an up-and-down campaign in 2024 that saw him complete 68.4 percent of his passes and throw for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight picks.
The Saints finished the campaign with a 9-8 record, missing out on the NFC South title due to a tiebreaker. It marked the third straight year in which the franchise didn’t play in the postseason.
