When a club fails to make the playoffs, you can be sure that the head coach and quarterback will be the first to take heat when the season ends.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Saints GM Mickey Loomis spent some time supporting head coach Dennis Allen and quarterback Derek Carr for the job they had done
Allen is entering his third season with the club, and Loomis has stated that he "is a good coach" and has asked for patience from the players.
Despite dealing with a shoulder ailment and two concussions, Carr played every game for the 9-8 Saints squad in 2023. After a disappointing 2022 season with the Raiders, he improved this year, and according to Loomis, "the easy and lazy thing to do with results is to blame the coach or the quarterback." This suggests that Carr played with more discomfort than the organization let on.
Loomis expressed her belief that he accomplished many commendable things. Sure, it wasn't flawless, but I still think he accomplished quite a bit
I felt like he reached a stride near the end, and we did as a team as well. He wasn't the only person or position that was wounded, though; I think he was hurt for a big chunk of the season.
The Saints won four of their last five games, and even if they hadn't had a winning streak, Carr's return would still be practically guaranteed due to financial considerations.
The Saints have every incentive to support Carr as the ideal candidate to lead them to the playoffs, given his $30 million guaranteed contract for the 2024 season.