The New Orleans Saints' offseason took an unfortunate turn on Friday.
Derek Carr, their four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, could threaten his availability for the 2025 campaign with a shoulder injury, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The 34-year-old is "weighing options," including surgery that would knock him out until 2026.
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
This is a brutal development for the Saints, a team already shrouded in uncertainty at the quarterback position. Carr's future has been a hot-button topic ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, with the Saints emerging as betting favorites to select Colorado signal-caller Shedeur Sanders. Others believe Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart could be on the table as a dark-horse alternative.
Either way, the odds of New Orleans drafting a quarterback just skyrocketed — as did the urgency to bring a potential rookie quarterback up to speed. Right now, New Orleans has two other QBs on the roster: 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener. Rattler started six games last season in Carr's place; Haener started once.
As we look ahead to next season, the Saints' depth chart will probably look something like this.
New Orleans Saints QB depth chart projection with Derek Carr status for 2025 season in doubt
Rank | Name |
|---|---|
1 | Shedeur Sanders / Jaxson Dart |
2 | Spencer Rattler |
3 | Jake Haener |
4 | Derek Carr* |
If the Saints weren't already leaning toward selecting a quarterback with the No. 9 pick, this has to seal the deal, right? Carr is only under contract through 2026 and his long-term status as a starter was already in doubt. Even if New Orleans plans to reinstall Carr as QB1 a year from now, it's time to start exploring more sustainable options.
New Orleans doesn't necessarily need to go for the home run pick at No. 9, of course. There are plenty of second or third-round prospects worth a look, such as Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Louisville's Tyler Shough, or Ohio State's Will Howard. Rattler does have starting experience, so the Saints could go for a less ambitious gamble in a later round, then set up a competition with Rattler in training camp.
That said, unless New Orleans is sold on Milroe or a comparable prospect leading their offense for the next decade, the Saints should probably focus on the first-round prospects. Sanders, for all his warts, operated with extreme efficiency despite Colorado's makeshift O-line. Dart has more robust physical tools and athleticism, but he probably needs more time to get up to speed on the mental side of the game.
Rattler is the real X-factor here. A former top recruit, Rattler's college career was rather complicated. The talent has never been a question, though, and he probably would've gone much higher in the 2024 draft if not for the deluge of touted quarterback picks near the top of the board. Last season was a rough NFL awakening for Rattler, who threw more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four), but him starting this season — even ahead of a first-round pick like Sanders or Dart — isn't completely out of the question.