New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr said he has had "super positive" conversations with team leadership regarding his future after sitting out seven games in 2024, Katherine Terrell of ESPN reports.

Carr sat out the final four games of the season because of two fractures in his non-throwing hand and sat out three games earlier in the season because of a strained oblique.

Carr said "it sucked" to be on the sideline as the Saints (5-11) lost the final four games of the season. He said his focus now is getting back to full health while the Saints hold a search for a head coach.

"I got to take care of myself and then the rest after that is really out of my hands," Carr said Monday. "I've had great conversations with everyone in this building with [general manager] Mickey [Loomis], with [owner] Ms. [Gayle] Benson, with everybody. And we all have mutual feelings and so my confidence level is very high and what can happen, what could happen. And we've shown what it could possibly be at times. The hard part is we had to deal with some stuff that we didn't get to see that full picture all the time. So we'll see."

Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi confirmed he will interview for the vacant position, probably as early as next week. A source confirmed to ESPN the Saints requested to interview Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Carr is due $40 million next year and will count $51.45 million against the salary cap in 2025 if the Saints don't restructure his contract. Due to a restructure last offseason, Carr will have the Saints' largest salary cap figure. The Saints are expected to be significantly over the salary cap this offseason and will have to release or restructure multiple contracts to become cap compliant.

"That's the life of a quarterback," Carr told ESPN. "Whenever the season doesn't end the way [you wanted] that's the person people look at. 'Well what money can we free up to get this and do this' ... and I'm fully confident with what I put on tape. I'm not worried, if that's the case, and it had to change and all that kind of stuff. I'm super confident that whatever it is, I could get anywhere else to play. And so I'm not worried about that, but at the same time, I just want to win."

Carr was 5-5 as a starter in 2024 and the Saints did not win a game with backup quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.

"People can form their own opinions about Derek Carr and again, they're entitled to those," Rizzi said Monday. "We didn't win a game when he didn't start."

Carr has two years left on the free agent deal he signed before the 2023 season. Carr, whose contract average of $37.5 million ranks in a tie for 15th at his position, according to Over The Cap, said he would not be open to a pay cut.

"I wouldn't take a pay cut," he told ESPN. "Yeah, I wouldn't do that. Especially with what I put on tape. Would I restructure? Absolutely. I'll always help the team that way. But there's some things that you put out there that you earned. Even in some cases it could be even worse, but I felt confident when I signed it that this would give the team the best flexibility at the time. ... But there's always a kind of respect as a quarterback you're like, well still we're in that respectful lane. 'We're good. Build the team.' But yeah, I wouldn't take anything less to do this. It's hard enough putting our bodies through it. And you're trying to get everything you can for your family for it."

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