Derek Carr

Saints Making Calls On Path To QB Pick; Derek Carr Clarity Proving Elusive

Where the wave of second-tier quarterback prospects sends those players will be one of this draft’s top storylines, and teams are doing work on forging reasonable paths to securing QB real estate. This has involved the Browns and Giants discussing trades that involve using their early-second-round picks to climb back into Round 1. The Saints are at work on a similar route as well.

Mentioned a few times as less likely to use the No. 9 overall pick on a quarterback — in a much-maligned draft at the position (outside of Cam Ward) — New Orleans has begun to discuss trades with teams that would involve a move down from that point, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. Additional pick(s) gained from a move down would, Schultz adds, likely be used in a trade package to come back into the first round for a passer.

[RELATED: Jalon Walker, Pass Catchers On Saints’ Round 1 Radar]

This draft’s lack of blue-chip talent, or a second QB deemed worthy of a top-10 pick, has made trading down from the top 10 rather difficult. Offers are not believed to be carrying full value, which would complicate a Saints odyssey down from 9. It depends on how serious New Orleans is about a plan to find a Derek Carr successor without using its first-round pick. The Saints hold No. 40 overall as well; that pick has been viewed as the franchise’s more likely centerpiece of a trade to acquire a long-term option.

The 2025 QB class is not viewed as the greatest talent array to land such a player, the Saints are nevertheless in this position due to Carr’s murky status. The team had hoped to have pre-draft clarity on Carr, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, but no such answers — regarding a surgery that would impact the QB’s availability for 2025 — have emerged.

Seeing as we are nearing May, it is a bit odd this much mystery still clouds Carr’s future. The situation may offer reminders of Michael Thomas‘ unusual 2021, when he delayed a surgery the team viewed as necessary — only to suffer a setback and then miss all of that season. Carr is not certain to undergo surgery, but this issue has surprised some members of the Saints’ staff. His status has naturally hovered over the team entering the draft. Mickey Loomis refused to answer Carr-related questions at his pre-draft presser, but the 12th-year veteran’s availability certainly impacts how the Saints will proceed in the draft. Loomis has avoided trading down in Round 1, but he — as could be expected — did not dismiss the possibility this year.

Carr’s injury is believed to stem from a 2023 AC joint issue that did not heal properly. Carr sustained multiple concussions that year, and he ran into oblique and hand trouble in 2024. The Saints were not believed to have been caught off-guard by Carr’s shoulder trouble, having restructured the vet’s contract — making a 2026 separation more costly. But the team having anticipated more clarity by now is noteworthy, especially as the Saints join other clubs in preparing similar trade-up routes for QBs.

Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough and Jalen Milroe have checked in as potential options for this glut of QB-needy teams; all could be gone by Round 2. The Saints have done extensive work on each, as Kellen Moore prepares to take over. Our Ely Allen pegged Dart to go to New Orleans in his mock draft. The Giants are believed to be high on Dart, and the Saints will take a risk if they pass on a QB at 9. Should that happen, the race between this lot of teams eyeing longer-term solutions will be on.

Surgery Not Certainty For QB Derek Carr

9:43pm: ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports the severity of Carr’s injury is unknown at this time. She adds some members of the Saints’ staff were unaware of the ailment until it was reported, further illustration of the confusion and uncertainty surrounding this situation. Clarity with respect to Carr’s 2025 outlook would certainly be welcomed by all parties.

11:44am: Reports of a shoulder injury to Saints quarterback Derek Carr that may require surgery have put his situation in New Orleans back in the spotlight.

Shoulder surgery could force Carr to miss some, if not all, of the 2025 season, effectively forcing the Saints into a long-avoided rebuild. That could push them to using the No. 9 pick on a quarterback after doing their homework on this year’s class.

However, surgery is not a certainty, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, which could keep Carr on the field this fall and a best-player-available approach on the table for the Saints during next week’s draft.

The reports of Carr’s shoulder injury, combined with his comments rejecting the idea of a pay cut in January, paint an odd picture, especially with a new head coach in Kellen Moore. Carr did not attend the start of the Saints’ voluntary offseason workout program, per Matthew Paras of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, though that’s hardly surprising for a player dealing with an injury.

A recent contract restructure committed the Saints to Carr for 2025 and reduced his cap hit to $20.5MM, an affordable number for a starting quarterback who has performed well in black and gold when healthy. However, the prospect of surgery puts his availability for this season in question, and his contract will become prohibitively expensive next year.

Carr currently has a $69.2MM cap hit for the 2026 season, per OverTheCap. The Saints could reduce that number with another maximum restructure, but that would only increase the $40.5MM in dead money that’s already waiting at the end of Carr’s deal in 2027. An extension is out of the question until there’s some certainty with Carr’s shoulder, and even then, New Orleans is clearly looking for a long-term quarterback in the draft.

It’s hard to know, therefore, if there’s any fire behind this smoke, or if Carr’s injury is just that: an injury.

Saints’ Derek Carr Battling Shoulder Injury, Weighing Surgery

APRIL 14: With plenty of uncertainty looming over this situation, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports Carr’s camp has informed the team the current issue stems from the fact his 2023 AC joint sprain never healed in full. Especially if that is the case, surgery will no doubt receive strong consideration. As the draft draws nearer, New Orleans’ 2025 outlook under center remains uncertain.

APRIL 11: As the Saints determine if they want to make a significant quarterback investment, they have another issue to deal with regarding their current starter. While coming to New Orleans as one of the NFL’s most durable players, Derek Carr has run into frequent health concerns.

His latest involves a shoulder malady, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. This issue could affect Carr’s regular-season availability, Rapoport adds, as surgery is being considered. Carr missed seven games last season, seeing oblique and hand injuries lead to the low attendance number. The Saints restructured Carr’s contract recently, locking in the 11-year veteran for at least one more season and making a 2026 separation more costly.

Prior to coming to New Orleans, Carr had missed just three games due to injury in nine Oakland/Las Vegas seasons. One of those was a playoff game due to a broken leg suffered in Week 16 of the 2016 season. Carr returned in time for the 2017 campaign. With the Saints, however, the experienced starter continues to see hurdles appear. This latest comes at a rather significant time, as a Saints franchise that has not selected a quarterback in the first round since Archie Manning (1971) considers breaking that streak.

It is unclear how or when Carr sustained this injury. While “what they knew and when they knew it” questions are natural here, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds the possibility of shoulder surgery has not surprised the Saints. With the Saints’ massive dead money numbers tied to Carr’s contract stemming from signing bonus proration and void years, an offsite injury affecting guarantees would not matter significantly with regards to an earlier-than-expected separation. But Carr’s offseason outlook certainly looks cloudy in light of this news, with Russini noting there is curiosity around the league about there being more to this story. The 2023 signee remains signed through 2026.

Carr sustained an oblique tear in Week 5 last season; the issue sidelined him for three games. A fracture on his nonthrowing hand, sustained in Week 14, moved Carr out of the picture to close the season. While some uncertainty cropped up between the Saints’ Kellen Moore HC hire and the team’s decision to go through with another restructure, Carr had been penciled in to continue as the team’s starter for a while. As it stands, the Saints are not prepared to be without their first-stringer.

The team has resisted calls for a rebuild, with Carr the main impediment at this point. A surgery that could sideline the starter for part of the 2025 season would stand to impact the team’s thinking in the draft, though a priority of finding a long-term successor will naturally be more important during the late-April event.

The Saints have been closely tied to Quinn Ewers as a potential Day 2 option, while a recent report did not peg them as surefire Shedeur Sanders suitors. As presently constructed, the Saints would not present Sanders or another rookie with a great opportunity to hit the ground running. They are coming off a 5-12 season and did add much of note to their roster on offense. The perennially cap-strapped team is again out of those woods, but the options for adding a short-term stopgap are minimal right now. Ex-Day 3 picks Spencer Rattler, the team’s primary Carr replacement in 2024, and Jake Haener remain rostered.

Joe Flacco joined the Browns today, and the Seahawks completed a QB reunion of their own — with Drew Lock. That takes two clear options off the table, leaving Carson Wentz and a potential Ryan Tannehill unretirement as unexciting solutions. Aaron Rodgers technically remains a free agent, but he has been hesitant on any non-Vikings-based chance to continue his career.

Rodgers showing much interest in the Saints would surprise, and it is still too early to speculate on full-fledged solutions due to the lack of information about Carr’s injury. But this is obviously a concern that will need to be closely monitored. The Saints begin their offseason program Monday.

QB Draft Rumors: Titans, Saints, Manning

As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nearer and nearer, we continue to see momentum towards the Titans selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick. While the team’s president of football operations, Chad Brinker, spoke recently about the time the team has spent evaluating top options like Ward, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, he also spoke about a patient, disciplined approach that could entail trading back.

“We are going to go through the whole thing, and I think probably here in two weeks, we’re going to have a good idea of where things are headed,” Brinker told the media, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. “And there’s a chance a team calls, and it makes you stop for a second and think, ‘Hey, we might need to consider this.’ But all of this is a part of being disciplined and being thorough.”

Dianna Russini of The Athletic seemed to imply that there are some in the building who are pushing for the team to trade out of the No. 1 overall spot. Russini, in a recent interview, talked about how those in the building with this view see so many question marks on the roster and so many positions of need. If a team gives them an offer that allows them to cover more ground in repairing what needs to be fixed, they feel as if the team needs to seriously consider that option.

Here are a few other rumors concerning quarterback prospects in the coming draft (and beyond):

  • In an interview on NFL Network yesterday, Ian Rapoport noted the Saints as a team that could go after a quarterback early in the draft. The team recently restructured Derek Carr‘s contract, ensuring that they wouldn’t be forced to draft a quarterback later this month, but Rapoport posits that New Orleans still needs a quarterback of the future. If necessary, the team could take a passer at ninth overall or trade back later into the first round, if they believe the guy they want will still be there. Notably, Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post told us today that officials from two NFL clubs have “suggested the Saints’ brass is…infatuated with Texas’s Quinn Ewers in the second round.”
  • La Canfora also cited a scout who believes that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is “almost a lock to go in the second round.” Milroe has been making the rounds in the pre-draft process with several teams who have needs at quarterback. La Canfora’s source cited Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson as examples of guys who didn’t necessarily have elite accuracy or passing ability coming out of the draft but, eventually, added those attributes to their natural athleticism. Milroe is viewed as an elite athlete, and if teams believe they can improve on accuracy and passing traits that, at this moment, don’t seem NFL-ready, there’s no reason he can’t hear his name called on Day 1 or 2.
  • One last thing La Canfora mentioned was that “nearly everyone in the scouting community has opined on the Giants being infatuated with Texas quarterback Arch Manning.” Manning is obviously the nephew of long-time New York franchise passer Eli Manning. The issue with this thought is that they would need to tank in 2025 to be in a position to select Arch, and even then, both Eli and his brother, Peyton Manning, spent four years in college. If Arch follows in his uncles’ footsteps, the Giants would have to tank for two straight seasons in order to have a chance at him. A lot can happen in two years, and given that Manning has only played in 12 collegiate games and made only two starts for the Longhorns, his draft stock could easily change over that time.

NFC Notes: Carr, Horn, Kupp, Cowboys, Okereke

Derek Carr‘s contract will be restructured for the second straight offseason, ensuring he remains with the Saints for at least one more year. The veteran quarterback’s future had been in question until the news of his pact being reworked.

General Mickey Loomis said keeping Carr in place was the team’s plan, so it comes as no surprise he will play a third season in New Orleans. The four-time Pro Bowler apparently would have welcomed a change of scenery, though. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Carr was believed to be willing to head elsewhere this offseason by joining a QB-needy team. The Saints, however, never showed a desire to move forward with a trade or release.

Carr made it clear before a final decision on his future was made that he would not welcome a pay cut. His $40MM in 2025 compensation will (to a large extent) now be paid out as a signing bonus, but it was already guaranteed under the pact’s previous setup. Trading or cutting their QB1 would therefore have not been feasible for the Saints, but it is still noteworthy Carr would have been on board with a fresh start after two years with the team.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • Extension talks are ongoing between the Panthers and Jaycee Horn. When healthy, the former No. 8 pick has proven to be an effective cornerback but injuries in 2021 and ’23 threaten to hurt his leverage. In spite of his missed time, Joe Person of The Athletic writes Horn is believed to be seeking a deal near the top of the position’s market (subscription required). Five corners are attached to an AAV of $20.1MM or more, and Jalen Ramsey leads the way at $24.1MM per year. That figure could very well be overtaken once Sauce Gardner (Jets) and Derek Stingley (Texans) have extensions in place, but Horn, 25, may not slot in very far behind them.
  • Cooper Kupp is known to be on the trade market, with the Rams making clear their intention of moving on from the eight-year veteran. The team is prepared to retain salary to swing a deal, and general manager Les Snead hopes to have one in place by next week (when the 31-year-old’s roster bonus is due). In his first interview since learning of the team’s choice to move on, Kupp said (via Sam Farmer of the L.A. Times) head coach Sean McVay informed him of the move during a face-to-face meting in his office. McVay has left the door (slightly) open to a return with his recent comments, but Kupp has moved forward knowing he will be playing elsewhere in 2025.
  • Brandin Cooks is one of many veteran receivers set to hit the market next week. The 31-year-old has spent the past two seasons with the Cowboys, and in an interview with The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson he said he is open to re-signing. Cooks – who missed seven games in 2024 – added he is fully healthy, and Anderson writes there could be interest from multiple teams. While a return to Dallas is firmly in play, Cooks said he feels he has not been utilized correctly during his time there so far. The 11-year veteran played out a two-year, $20MM deal with the Cowboys.
  • Bobby Okereke‘s second season with the Giants was limited to 12 games due to a herniated disc in his back. The veteran linebacker is expected to be healthy in time for OTAs, but he could find himself on a new team by then. Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News writes there have been rumblings this offseason about the Giants not viewing Okereke’s value in the same light as they did previously. A 2023 free agent signing for general manager Joe Schoen, the former Colt delivered 149 tackles and a pair of interceptions in his debut New York season. His production dropped this past campaign, though, and with two years left on his pact a trade or release could be under consideration. Moving on immediately would not yield notable savings, but a post-June 1 release would free up $9MM later in the offseason. Okereke, 28, is due a $3MM roster bonus March 17.
  • With regard to other Cowboys updates, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News notes veteran defensive ends Carl Lawson and Chauncey Golston could be on the way out. DeMarcus Lawrence hopes to re-sign, but he is also open to exploring his market. The Cowboys currently have Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland on their rookie deals and a pending mega-extension to work out with leading edge rusher Micah Parsons. Inexpensive depth will increasingly be a priority if any or all of Lawrence, Lawson and Golston sign elsewhere. Watkins adds that punter Bryan Anger and long snapper Trent Sieg are among the players Dallas aims to re-sign, something which has already been taken care of in the case of Osa Odighizuwa.

Saints Restructuring QB Derek Carr’s Contract

After many reported discussions concerning how the Saints and quarterback Derek Carr would handle his compensation in 2025, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that the team is expected to convert most of the $40MM due to him into a signing bonus for salary cap purposes. Per Garafolo, this transaction indicates that New Orleans has every intention of riding with Carr as their starter next season.

Carr was due a $30MM base salary which was set to become fully guaranteed next week. The longtime Raiders starter was also set to collect a $10MM roster bonus; both compensation packages have been converted into a signing bonus. Carr was scheduled to carry a 2025 cap charge of nearly $51.5MM, but today’s move will lower it to $20.4MM (h/t ESPN’s Katherine Terrell).

New Orleans – as per usual – used restructures as a means of achieving cap compliance last offseason. That included reworking Carr’s contract, but the inflated cap figure and his missed time in 2024 led to questions about his future in the organization. That remained the case after the four-time Pro Bowler made it clear he would not entertain the idea of a pay cut as part of the Saints’ financial moves this spring. Last week, however, general manager Mickey Loomis said the team planned to keep Carr in the fold for at least one more year.

As a result, today’s news comes as little surprise. Carr will remain in New Orleans for his 12th career season and third with his current team. The soon-to-be 34-year-old played a full campaign in 2023, and the Saints’ 9-8 record suggested playoff contention would be feasible with him at the helm moving forward. Things did not go according to plan this past season, though, as Carr was limited to just seven games. New Orleans dealt with a number of other injuries on offense, and the team will hope a fresh start on that front along with new head coach Kellen Moore in place will spark improvement in 2025.

Once the season – one in which Dennis Allen was dismissed – had ended, Loomis said the Saints’ next head coach would have a role in shaping how they proceeded at the quarterback position. Despite being a rookie HC, Moore thus faced a key decision upon arrival. His input has resulted in a short-term confirmation that Carr will stay in place. He is on the books for 2026 with a non-guaranteed $50MM salary. The Fresno State product was already due to carry a cap charge of roughly $61.5MM before the restructure; that number will spike with future cap hits being moved into the future.

2023 fourth-round selection Jake Haener and 2024 third-rounder Spencer Rattler remain in place as backup options should Carr miss time next season. With the QB depth chart intact for at least one more year, Moore and the Saints will aim to bounce back from a disappointing run last campaign. As the start of the new league year approaches, the team still needs to free up approximately $10MM in additional funds to achieve cap compliance.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Saints Planning To Retain Derek Carr

The Saints’ on-brand restructure of Derek Carr‘s contract last year leaves them with a harder out on the middling quarterback’s contract. Even after the Broncos took on $83MM-plus in dead money to drop Russell Wilson, a Saints-Carr split would bring a noticeable dead cap hit for a team that wages cap-compliance odysseys annually.

It would cost New Orleans $50.1MM in total to drop Carr. While the team could halve that (roughly) with a post-June 1 designation this year, it would still leave Kellen Moore‘s team in need at the game’s marquee position. While the Saints’ new HC stopped short of confirming Carr would lead his first New Orleans offense, Mickey Loomis leaned more in that direction at the Combine.

The 24th-year Saints GM said (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell) Carr is “a guy we can win with,” as the veteran exec indicated the team will prepare for a third season with Carr at the helm. He remains tied to the four-year, $150MM deal authorized in 2023. The Saints would have had an easier time removing this contract from their payroll had the 2024 restructure not taken place, but the team needed to complete its usual quest to create cap space.

Retaining Carr may not be the most exciting news to Saints fans, but their cap situation — even as skilled as Loomis has proven in escaping trouble and stalling a true rebuild — would worsen considerably with a Carr separation. The Saints are still projected to be nearly $50MM over the 2025 cap. They have until 3pm CT on March 12 to move out of the red.

Moore also offered more support for Carr on Wednesday, indicating the Saints “feel fortunate to have Derek here, the experience he has. He’s a big-time quarterback in this league.” Loomis had said his next HC hire would shape the team’s QB direction; it appears, for now, this remains a Carr-centric roster. Moore’s team will assuredly be looking for a Carr heir apparent either this year or next, as this will be the age-34 season of a quarterback who has resided in the league’s middle class at the position for most of his career.

Last year, however, Carr did carry his highest QBR since 2020; the ex-Raider finished his abbreviated season with a 63.4 QBR. That would have been good for 13th in the league, though Carr did not have enough snaps to qualify. That showing also came after the Saints played without starting wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed for most of the season. Carr missed seven games as well, marking by far his lowest attendance in an NFL season. He had never previously missed more than two regular-season games.

Carr said earlier this year he would not accept a pay cut from the Saints. He is due a $10MM roster bonus in March, when his $30MM base salary will become guaranteed. That is a sizable commitment for the Saints, but they do not have great options to move on. Beyond the above-referenced financial ramifications, New Orleans needs a future QB answer in what is viewed as a down draft at the position. Using Carr as a bridge while Loomis and Moore plan ahead makes sense, even if the Saints continue to punt on a rebuild.

Saints HC Kellen Moore To Call Plays; Team’s QB Direction Remains Undecided

Kellen Moore was quickly brought into the fold by the Saints after he helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX. The league’s youngest head coach faces a number of challenges, including having a say in determining how his new team will proceed at the quarterback spot.

Derek Carr has two years remaining on his pact, and his cumbersome cap hits ($51.46MM, $61.46MM) over that span have led to speculation the Saints could move on. A trade could be of interest to teams looking for a bridge starter, but a contract restructure would no doubt be required to make the 33-year-old a feasible option for potential suitors. He is due a $10MM roster bonus for 2025, along with a $30MM base salary which is set to vest shortly after the league year begins in mid-March.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said earlier this offseason the team’s head coaching hire would play a role in deciding if Carr would remain in place for 2025 (as opposed to starting over at the position). During Moore’s introductory press conference, he was understandably asked about his view on the Carr situation. To little surprise, though, he did not make a firm commitment one way or the other.

“Derek’s a tremendous quarterback in this league. I’ve had so much respect for him, the journey that he’s been on, he’s a starter in this league,” Moore said (via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell). “He’s a premier player in this league… Really excited to team up with him and go through this process and so just like any player on this roster, I just got here a few days ago and I’m excited to go through this journey with all of them.”

Moore’s evaluation of the roster – one which currently has the Saints on track to be more than $50MM over the projected 2025 salary cap – is in its early stages. Cost-shedding moves will be required at several positions, although a Carr trade would create a $40MM dead money charge and only $11.33MM in savings this offseason. A release using a post-June 1 designation would generate a net gain in savings on the cap, on the other hand.

New Orleans used a fourth-round pick in 2023 on Jake Haener and followed up that selection by drafting Spencer Rattler in the fifth round last April. The latter made six starts while filling in for an injured Carr this past season, and Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes the Saints have informed other teams they are prepared to put Rattler atop the depth chart for 2025 and move on from Carr. Coupled with Moore’s non-committal remarks, questions will no doubt continue to be raised about New Orleans’ quarterback approach.

Moore noted, to no surprise, he will call plays for the Saints. A rebound from last year’s showing (24th in scoring) will be welcomed, but expectations for the team will of course be driven in large part by either the continued presence of Carr for a third New Orleans campaign or that of a new full-time starter.

Derek Carr Expected To Draw Trade Interest If Saints Move On

The Jets will not have Aaron Rodgers in the fold next season, meaning the team is committed to moving in a new direction under center. The Saints also have a notable call to make regarding their veteran quarterback.

Derek Carr is on the books for the next two years, and his compensation for the coming season represents a potential sticking point for New Orleans. A $10MM roster bonus is due for 2025, and early in the new league year next month the 33-year-old’s $30MM base salary is set to vest. A decision will need to be made before that point as a result.

Given the inconsistent nature of Carr’s two seasons to date (not to mention that fact he was limited to 10 games in 2024), the Saints could look to move on. In the event that were to take place, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes a market would likely exist for Carr’s services (video link). No commitment either way has been made at this point, something which obviously remain the case until a head coaching hire is made.

General manager Mickey Loomis said last month the team’s next HC will have a say in deciding how the organization proceeds with Carr. The longtime Raider is by far the most experienced option on New Orleans’ depth chart, but turning to Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener would allow for the Saints to operate with a much less expensive QB starter. Considering the fact the team is once again projected to be well over the salary cap, financial savings would certainly be welcomed at any position. Carr has made it clear he is not prepared to accept a pay cut.

The Saints are of course the only team in the NFL without a head coach at the moment, but that will likely change shortly. Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is universally expected to be hired when New Orleans is allowed to bring him into the fold (i.e. any time after tonight’s Super Bowl). The former Cowboys and Chargers OC played as a quarterback, and expectations will be high for the Saints’ offense in general and the team’s play at that position in particular provided he is hired. A key decision will need to be made by Moore and Co. shortly after his (presumed) arrival, though.

As Garafolo notes, the pending free agent quarterback class is not well regarded. Aside from Sam Darnoldthe likes of Rodgers, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and – in the likely event the Falcons cut bait this offseason – Kirk Cousins are the top veteran options suitors will have to choose from. Especially with the crop of 2025 rookies viewed as lacking in clear-cut franchise passers, Carr could be a suitable short-term addition in the eyes of at least some suitors.

A Carr trade before June 1 would create over $11MM in cap savings for the Saints, but it would generate a dead money charge of more than $40MM. Waiting until after that date to trade (or, for that matter, release) him would be much more beneficial from a financial perspective. A direction will need to be chosen along a much shorter timeline, however, so it will be interesting to see how the Saints proceed.

Mickey Loomis: Saints’ Next HC Will Help Shape Direction At QB

Uncertainty looms over the Saints’ direction at the quarterback position for 2025. The same is true on the sidelines since a new head coach has yet to be hired. Both situations, to no surprise, are linked.

During a Monday press conference, general manager Mickey Loomis made it clear no final decision has been made at this point with the respect to how the team will proceed under center. He added (via Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football) New Orleans’ next head coach will have a large say in whether or not Derek Carr will remain uncontested atop the depth chart or other options will be brought in. For his part, though, Loomis praised the veteran signal-caller.

“I have a high level of confidence in Derek,” Loomis said (via Underhill). ” He’s done some really good things here.”

Carr is currently on track to collect $30MM in base salary for 2025. $10MM of that figure is already locked in, and the remainder will become guaranteed in full in mid-March unless any adjustments are made. The four-time Pro Bowler recently made it clear he will not accept a pay cut, so a decision on a restructure (something the Saints, as usual, will need to rely on to achieve cap compliance this spring) or a trade or release will need to be made fairly soon.

In the meantime, New Orleans’ head coaching search continues. The team has already conducted several interviews, and few other candidates (with the potential exception of Mike McCarthy, who will not return with the Cowboys) are likely to receive attention. For now, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn looks to be the leading contender for the gig. He served as the Saints’ defensive backs coach for five seasons, and a return to his former team remains a distinct possibility.

After New Orleans elected to move on from Dennis Allen midseason, special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was promoted to interim HC. Shifting to a coach with an offensive background could take place with an eye on maximizing Carr’s remaining play as he approaches his age-34 season. In any case, changes elsewhere on the staff could take place once a new head coaching hire is made, as evidenced by the fact offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is taking interviews with other teams for the same role.

Neither Spencer Rattler nor Jake Haener showed enough late in the season to suggest they could be take over QB1 duties in the event the Saints were to move on from Carr, but it remains to be seen how the team’s next head coach will perceive the situation under center.