NFL rumors: Derek Carr chooses the nuclear option in Saints-Raiders trade talks

Despite some progress in trade talks between the two sides, and in-person meetings between Derek Carr and the Saints, there will be on swap sending the Raiders QB to New Orleans for draft picks.

Derek Carr spent 48 hours with Saints brass, but as it turns out, he just wants to be friends.

New Orleans could use an experienced quarterback this offseason, especially considering Jameis Winston hasn’t turned out as planned. Much of that isn’t Winston’s fault, but his inability to stay healthy is a very real concern.

Carr would’ve signaled a legitimate improvement, and perhaps made the Saints the favorites in the NFC South heading into next season now that Tom Brady no longer resides in the division.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Carr has chosen the nuclear option — one most of us did expect — and will force Las Vegas to release him. In doing so, Carr will be able to choose his own destination.

Raiders won’t trade Derek Carr to Saints: What went wrong?

While Derek Carr and the Saints made sense on paper, the Fresno State product must not have liked their pitch in person.

This is not to say New Orleans is completely out of the running, but a trade giving Las Vegas assets for his services is rather limiting. Instead, the team will have to release Carr by Tuesday or pay him over $40 million — a price no team would suggest.

It allows Carr to choose his next destination rather than the Raiders, which severely limited his ability to seek out a trade. Carr clearly holds some level of animosity towards the franchise which drafted him, signed him to a long-term contract, traded for his former college teammate, and will now dump him all over the span of a few seasons.

None of that is a shot at Carr — he’s a perfectly capable quarterback. But in the loaded AFC West, the path to a division championship already goes through Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

Carr is neither of them.