Tight end Juwan Johnson is trying to get along better with quarterback Derek Carr as the New Orleans Saints aim to get better.
As an undrafted free agent in 2020, tight end Juwan Johnson signed with the New Orleans Saints, where he found himself in a position that any pass-catcher would love to be in: receiving passes from Drew Brees on a club that was managed by Sean Payton. Four seasons and seven quarterbacks later, Derek Carr is the starting quarterback for the Saints, and Dennis Allen is the head coach.
Johnson recently discussed playing with so many quarterbacks in such a short period of time and his current strategy for working with Carr in an interview with Fox News. Johnson said that his friendship with Derek Carr is already going well, citing their shared religion as the reason for their bond with Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos. Nonetheless, Johnson feels that a tighter bond off the field will improve their performance together, therefore he wants to grow even closer with his quarterback:
In a few weeks, I’m going to visit him to just establish chemistry. All that matters, in my opinion, is the camaraderie that develops on and off the field. It’s just enjoyable for us. just forming a bond and observing how that spreads across the field.”
Derek Carr will be spending time with Juwan Johnson throughout the offseason.
Johnson appeared in 13 games during his first year alongside Derek Carr, hauling in 37 catches for 368 yards and four touchdowns. In terms of output, he had just one greater season in his four-year career (2022), when he caught 42 receptions for 508 yards and seven touchdowns.
Carr started all 17 of the games in his first season with the Saints, throwing for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions while completing 68.4% of his throws. But things weren’t always easy, and it’s obvious that New Orleans needs to work hard in the summer to get better. We’ll see if strengthening relationships off the field during the offseason improves the team’s performance the following year.