The Pittsburgh Steelers have a pivotal offseason on the horizon, as the team lost four straight games to end the 2024 regular season and suffered a pitiful wild card round loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Although Pittsburgh has been a consistent playoff team over the past few seasons, the franchise has not won a playoff game since January 2017.
One position shrouded in uncertainty is quarterback. Russell Wilson started most of the season for the Steelers and got off to a good start, but he was an inspiration in December and January and is no longer an upper-echelon starting signal caller.
Justin Fields also started a few games for Pittsburgh early in the year when Wilson suffered a calf injury, and the 25-year-old showed promise, going 4-2 with ten total touchdowns and just two turnovers.
Wilson and Fields will be unrestricted free agents this offseason, and if general manager Omar Khan decides to revamp the quarterback room, Alan Saunders of the Steelers now lists New Orleans Saints signal-caller Derek Carr as a potential option for Pittsburgh.
“Without a good offensive line, Carr led the NFL with a 2.79% sack rate, and he threw just five interceptions this season,” Saunders wrote. “He embodies risk management. A completion percentage of 67.7 at an average depth of 7.8 yards suggests his arm is still going strong at age 33, and he set a career high with 7.57 yards net adjusted per attempt.”
“The Saints have the worst salary cap situation in the league, and there is no reason for them to continue paying an average quarterback $40 million a year at best,” Saunders added.
Carr started 10 games in 2024, throwing 15 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 5-5 record. The 2014 second-round pick is a solid starting signal-caller who could provide some stability and consistent play at quarterback for the Steelers.
While Carr is an adequate entry-level player, he isn’t much of an upgrade over Wilson and he still has two years left on a whopping $150 million contract he signed with the Saints in 2023.
Carr’s ceiling reached in 2025 is $51 millionwho jumps to $61 million in 2026. If Pittsburgh were to trade for the veteran, they would have to give up their draft capital and endure his lucrative contract for slightly above-average quarterback play.
There’s also a chance New Orleans releases Carr, but the franchise would only save $1.3 million in cap space unless they designate him as a cut after June 1, which would allow for the Saints to save $30 million in cap space, according to Above Cape Town.
Overall, Pittsburgh should avoid trading or even signing Derek Carr if he becomes available. The 33-year-old will cost a ton of money and is simply not a quarterback who makes things happen.
