Yes, the parade absence talk should be taken with a wink and a grain of salt, but the cap implications made it a 100% certainty he was coming back in 2025. Maybe Carr didn't understand it, he had long waived the privilege of being consulted about it, but he was still absolutely under contract and a Saint at Mardi Gras.
Think of the goodwill he could've generated just by doing what his teammates did - ride in parades together. The Saints and indirectly the fans partially will have paid $150 MILLION DOLLARS to him.
Ride in a stupid parade. Is that so hard? I don't personally care, but Carr seems like he does not care for personal PR, or, understanding his contract. An anti-social QB is not helpful.