Carr is now exploring his options, which reportedly include surgery
The New Orleans Saints were thrown a major curveball Friday, when NFL Media reported that quarterback Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that could threaten his availability for the 2025 season. Carr is now exploring his options, which include surgery. Details about the injury and how potentially serious it could be were not made available.
Carr played in just 10 games for the Saints last season, going 5-5 as the starter while throwing for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He was shut down for the year after breaking his hand and suffering a concussion during the 14-11 win over the New York Giants in Week 14. The five games Carr won were the only victories the Saints had all season, as Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener went a combined 0-7. While Carr missed seven starts, he finished the 2024 campaign ranked top 10 in completion percentage (67.7%), yards per attempt (7.7) and TD-INT ratio (15-5).
Carr signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints prior to the 2023 season after he spent nine years with the Las Vegas Raiders. There were questions concerning if Carr could be cut or traded this offseason, but the Saints instead converted a good chunk of his salary into a signing bonus last month, signaling he would be New Orleans’ QB1 in 2025.
It’s natural to wonder if this massive development could shake up the Saints’ draft plans. New Orleans holds the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and if the Saints weren’t in the quarterback market before, they certainly are now. The Saints were actually the betting favorite to select former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders before this news broke, and he will surely be a popular mock draft selection for the Saints moving forward. As it stands now, New Orleans has three other quarterbacks on its roster: Rattler, Haener and Ben DiNucci.
