After spending nine years with the Raiders, Derek Carr joined the Saints for the 2023 season, marking his first year with a new team.
The team ended the season with a 9-8 record, winning four of the last five games and making a push for the playoffs.
Carr played in all 17 games, completing 68% of his passes for 3,878 yards, with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. However, it wasn’t an easy season for Carr physically, as Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis revealed in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“Derek had a tough year last year, physically,” Loomis said. “He took some hard hits, especially in the Green Bay game, and it took him a while to recover. But he’s tough and played through it. It affected him, especially in the middle of our season.”
Loomis noted that Carr seemed more comfortable entering his second year with the team. Despite having a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak, there is plenty of continuity within the Saints organization for Carr to rely on.
“Now that he’s more familiar with everything — the coaches, the environment — we’re optimistic about what Derek can bring to the team,” Loomis said. “He’s feeling more confident in his leadership role after a year in the building, and we’re expecting great things.”
