The New Orleans Saints' offseason is starting on a sour note.
Derek Carr could miss the entire 2025 campaign as he recovers from shoulder surgery, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is "weighing options," including a procedure that jeopardizes his availability for the upcoming season.
The #Saints suddenly have a major QB question: Starter Derek Carr is now dealing with a shoulder injury that threatens his availability for this season, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 11, 2025
Carr is weighing options, including the possibility of surgery. pic.twitter.com/QNdc9ipE8P
Carr was limited to 10 starts in 2024, throwing for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 67.7 percent completion rate.
For all the many criticisms of Carr as a quarterback, he's one of the most consistent and experienced vets in the NFL. The dude has won a lot of (regular season) games and put up lofty numbers in the past. He is also probably the second-best quarterback in the division behind Baker Mayfield, and the NFC South is always up for grabs.
Without Carr, the Saints' quarterback future comes into sharp focus. Equipped with the No. 9 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, there has been speculation that New Orleans might target a top-ranked prospect, such as Colorado's Shedeur Sanders or Mississippi's Jaxson Dart. The Saints could also look to Jalen Milroe, Tyler Shough or Will Howard in the middle rounds.
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, however, New Orleans has always been on the quarterback hunt, and Carr's aggressive injury response could be, in part, related to his looming replacement.
Derek Carr might use injury to avoid being directly replaced by Saints rookie
"I know that the New Orleans Saints are on a mission to get a quarterback," Russini said. "That's the facts. Where in this draft? I'm unsure of. Maybe this is Derek Carr looking at the situation going, 'I don't want the Kirk Cousins treatment.' I don't want to be your quarterback, you guys draft a young guy coming in here, and it's basically 'when is he going to play?'"
The Saints have been focused on adding a QB in this year's draft — even before Derek Carr's recent shoulder developments.@ChaseDaniel and I react to last Friday's news on Scoop City ⤵️https://t.co/libKdeS12l pic.twitter.com/eEK10LMaeX
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 15, 2025
This is obviously speculation, but it feels truthful, especially coming from such a plugged-in source. Carr has been on the downturn in recent years, and it's clear the Saints are ready to line up his replacement.
Carr, if healthy, would almost certainly begin the season under center for New Orleans, but the real question is: would he finish the season under center? Especially if the Saints burn a first-round selection on Sanders or Dart. The last couple seasons have ended in bitter disappointment for the Saints. This core has more or less reached its logical conclusion. At a certain point, winning becomes secondary to hashing out a path forward.
Kellen Moore arrives in New Orleans with a strong offensive mindset. He has worked with some of the NFL's top quarterbacks, from Dak Prescott to Jalen Hurts. There are loose similarities between Sanders and Prescott, or Dart and Hurts. It's not hard to find these parallels, and New Orleans does not hire such a young head coach without a long runway for success. The Saints are building toward the future.
Carr has earned his flowers in the NFL. His career has been a lot better than he'll ever get credit for, even if his postseason successes are sparse. For the Saints, however, it's just time to move in a new direction. After seeing Kirk Cousins, a $180 million quarterback, get the boot after 14 games with the Atlanta Falcons, one couldn't blame Carr for being proactive about his own future and looking ahead to what's next — even if it means a lengthier recovery period.