Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints decision to sign Derek Carr last offseason was an odd one, but here we are. Next offseason, the Saints could save $30 million on their cap number by cutting Carr, who helped lead the team to a 9-8 record in 2023, but no playoffs to speak of.
The Saints head coach is Dennis Allen, who is simply not a good head coach by any means. The Saints need to blow this thing up next year unless the team makes a shocking playoff run. Cutting Carr would be a wise move, as he's never really been more than an average QB and is eating up a ton of money.
Carr has thrown nearly 250 touchdowns and 40,000 yards across his NFL career. He's got a lowly 72-87 record, but with his modest production over his career, he'd have no issues finding another starting job.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
The one-time Pro Bowler goes catch a lot of flak, but he's got a winning record in each of his first four seasons and did play and start in all 17 games for the Miami Dolphins in 2023. Yes, Tua Tagovailoa might not be an elite QB, but there isn't any doubting the production he's had.
In 2022, Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating, and in 2023, he led the league in passing yards. Right now, the Dolphins and Tagovailoa seem to be quite deep in contract negotiations, but the team seems to be in no man's land.
It's clear that Tagovailoa is an efficient QB. He's got 53 regular season games under his belt and he's been a productive player. There is no doubting his ability to play QB at an adequate level. He is a franchise QB. However, will the Dolphins ever win a Super Bowl with Tua Tagovailoa? I mean, the AFC is loaded with a ton of talented QBs, and I'm not sure he's top seven in his own conference at this point.
It's a weird spot for Miami to be in. Maybe if they do not extended him before the end of the 2024 NFL Season, they'd have another QB plan up their sleeves.