Is Derek Carr a quarterback the Saints can contend for a Super Bowl with?

Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints are gearing up for year two together. Year one was a bit rocky. Carr ultimately started all 17 games, completing 68.4% of his passes for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, and the Saints finished with a 9-8 record, one win shy of winning the division and going to the playoffs. Despite being that close to their goals, it’s clear the team has a lot to work on this offseason.

There are also still questions surrounding Derek Carr. Considering that he turns 33 this offseason, it’s clear that he’s not the quarterback of the future, but everyone wants to know how far New Orleans can get with him as the quarterback right now. How does he compare to the rest of the quarterbacks in the league?

Nick Shook recently answered the latter question in a piece ranking all 66 quarterbacks that started a game during the 2023 season. Carr, was ranked at No. 22 on the list.

Derek Carr ranked the 22nd-best quarterback of the 2023 season

This ranking is one spot higher than Carr’s 2022 ranking of 23. While not a high ranking, Shook did say that things are pointing up for Carr going into next season, explaining that Derek Carr and the offense finally seemed to find themselves in the final month of the season. If Carr can carry over that momentum and seamlessly transition into Klint Kubiak’s offense, the Saints have a chance to make some noise.

However, contrary to the way everyone makes it seem, New Orleans’ status as a contender isn’t just dependent on the quarterback position. Carr certainly needs to be more consistent for the Saints to compete, but so does the defense, offensive line, coaches, and everyone else. The Saints were a mediocre team in 2023. If they want to contend in 2024, everyone needs to find a way to take things up a notch.

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