FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — A potential injury in New Orleans could make waves for the NFL Draft and have a ripple effect in the NFC South.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported last Friday New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has a shoulder injury that threatens his availability for the 2025 season. Carr is reportedly weighing options, which include possible surgery.
The Saints signed Carr to a four-year, $150 million contract in 2023. His deal was restructured this offseason to aid cap space. It's still set to expire after the 2026 season.
The timing of this news is notable for two reasons.
First, the Saints began their voluntary offseason workout program Monday. Spencer Rattler already posted from the training facility over the weekend, making it pretty safe to assume he'll be in attendance. The Saints drafted Rattler in the fifth round last year, and he played in seven games as a rookie, even starting six, when Carr was injured.
Secondly, the 2025 NFL Draft begins next Thursday. The Saints have the No. 9 overall pick and have been gathering intel on this year’s quarterback class. Head coach Kellen Moore visited Cam Ward's pro day at Miami, Will Howard's at Ohio State and Jaxson Dart's at Ole Miss.
So, it's a rather quick mental shift in both aspects: New Orleans must now help Rattler prepare for an elevated role while also debating whether to bring in someone new.
There is, of course, always the third option of luring a veteran to New Orleans. Aaron Rodgers has yet to decide if or where he'll play in 2025. Carson Wentz, Ryan Tannehill and Tyler Huntley are still free agents, too.
Then, there's Kirk Cousins.
The Atlanta Falcons have made it very clear they’re willing to keep Cousins rostered as a backup to Michael Penix Jr. Cousins, though, has also made it very clear he wants to be a starter. The tricky part here is the Falcons, Cousins and Saints would all have to agree on a trade. Given the two teams' rivalry, that seems unlikely. However, everyone has a price. And Cousins' cap hit sits at $40 million.
Even if the Saints don't ultimately acquire Cousins, their presence in the quarterback market could take another viable starter off the board. In that situation, the demand for Cousins could increase, which would benefit Atlanta.
Regardless of the path the Saints pursue, it's not a given Carr will miss the 2025 season. His shoulder could be fine come September. He may not need surgery. No one knows for sure just yet.
That leaves the rest of the NFC South in a little bit of a limbo when thinking about the competition in New Orleans. The Falcons have their starting quarterback in Penix, as do the Carolina Panthers with Byrce Young and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Baker Mayfield. If Carr is no longer the guy in New Orleans, Mayfield would become the elder statesman of the division.
The Saints are 2-2 against the Falcons, 3-1 against the Panthers and 1-1 against the Buccaneers since Carr became their starter in 2023. Carr is 14-13 overall as a starter in New Orleans.
During his first year, Carr led the Saints to a 9-8 record, completing 68.4% of his passes for an average of 228 yards per game. He threw 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The Saints were second to the Buccaneers in the division standings that year. The Falcons came third. The Panthers placed fourth.
Carr missed seven games in 2024 due to multiple different issues. An oblique injury sidelined him in Weeks 6-8, and a concussion and a hand injury kept him out from Weeks 15-18. When he was active, Carr went 5-5 and completed 67.7% of his passes for an average of 214.5 yards per game. He threw 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The Saints finished last season fourth in the division, with Panthers in third, Falcons in second and Buccaneers winning for the fourth year in a row.
