Who Should I Start? Derek Carr or Diontae Johnson

Monday, January 13, 4:36 PM

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said on Monday that he still has a high level of confidence in quarterback Derek Carr. In his second season in New Orleans, Carr missed the final four games of the season due to a concussion and broken hand and missed a total of seven games due to injury in total. In the 10 starts that Carr did make, he completed 67.7% of his 279 pass attempts for a career-low 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. The four-time Pro Bowler has played in only 17 games in his two seasons in the Big Easy and carries an absurd $51 million salary cap hit in 2025. The 33-year-old doesn't have any guaranteed money left on the final two years of his deal, but it will still be tough for the Saints to move on given his salary cap hit. Carr's $30 million base salary and $10 million roster bonus for 2025 will kick in in the middle of March, so we should have more clarity by then.

Wednesday, January 15, 5:04 PM

The Baltimore Ravens claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Houston Texans on Wednesday. However, per NFL rules, Johnson won't be awarded to the Ravens until after the Super Bowl, so he won't be eligible to play in the rest of the postseason. Johnson has had quite the wild ride this year, starting the year with the Carolina Panthers before being dealt to Baltimore at the trade deadline. After being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team and catching only one of five targets for six yards in four games with the Ravens, he was released and picked up by the Texans. He caught three of five targets for 24 yards in his two games with Houston before being waived, and now he's back in Baltimore. The 28-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in March, so there's a good chance he won't open the 2025 season with the Ravens.