Who Should I Start? Derek Carr or Desmond Ridder

Friday, February 23, 2:00 PM

The New Orleans Saints restructured quarterback Derek Carr's contract on Friday for salary cap purposes, a move that was expected to give the team around $23 million in cap relief for the 2024 season, according to sources. Carr is due $30 million in base salary this year, so converting a portion of that into a signing bonus provides immediate savings. The 32-year-old veteran signal-caller is under contract with the Saints through 2026. In his first year in the Big Easy, he threw for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions while amazingly not missing a single game despite suffering multiple concussions, cracked ribs and a shoulder sprain. Carr is as tough as they come and can give fantasy managers low-end QB1 lines on occasion, but he's best drafted as a fantasy backup.

Thursday, March 14, 1:30 PM

The Arizona Cardinals are acquiring former starting quarterback Desmond Ridder from the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, according to a source. Ridder squandered his chance as the full-time starter for the Falcons in 2023 by throwing for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 games (13 starts), eventually being benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke. The former third-round pick out of Cincinnati has also lost nine fumbles in 19 games (17 starts) in his two NFL seasons. Atlanta's signing of Kirk Cousins made Ridder expendable, and he'll now make for a solid backup option in Arizona for starter Kyler Murray. The 24-year-old obviously won't be on the fantasy radar in single-year leagues in 2024 now that he's firmly entrenched in a backup role.