Falcons GM Terry Fontenot says he’s perfectly comfortable with Kirk Cousins being a $100-million backup QB in ‘25
So you are of the belief that Carr is going to be the QB beyond next season? If not, then there is no point to start Carr. period. It is ideal to get the Young QB more reps and have a veteran QB. If he wants to "start" he can "take a pay cut" so we can trade him. IDEAL City.
That's the strategy I'd pursue. The posturing has already begun. Carr isn't willing to take a pay cut, especially considering what he's "put on tape". What he put on tape is 5-5 as a starter. Middling/average. The problem is that the alternative was 0-7 without him. I can't fault Carr for wanting his money, but what he "put on tape" is a silly argument IMO. Unless you put up Pro-Bowl numbers and were the lone bright spot in a dark season (conjuring up images of DB9 throwing for 5k+ yard and 30-40 TDs, but going 7-9), I'm not entertaining that delusional stance.
But Carr DOES hold the leverage, and his contract says what it says. ML negotiated that contract, so he knows too. But the other thing we KNOW, is that DC4 views himself as a starter (rightly so) and WANTS to be a starter. It was well-publicized that the Raiders benching him was a bitter pill to swallow. If the Saints were to let him know, as a courtesy, if you can't help the team with the cap, then you're likely to be our BACKUP QB in 2025. He's not going to like that scenario. And while you're at it, give him & his agent permission to seek a trade partner. I'll bet Carr moves off his no-trade clause, and maybe.....MAYBE...he'll find a trade partner and we can work out a scenario where we eat less cap (a win for us), maybe obtain a low round pick to eat cap in a contract restructure to accommodate trade (another win), and he takes a pay cut to start somewhere else (win for him and the other team).
But if the Saints took this position, that bridge is burned. There's no coming back from that. Depending on the re-negotiated contract and the revised cap hit, I think I'd be okay with this. Carr is a fine bridge QB, but he's not the long-term answer and is only a bridge solution for 1-2 years at best. If he can't work with the team to get the cap in order to put some talent around him, I'd be fine burning that bridge. JMO...