New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is still battling a shoulder injury that could sideline him for the entire 2025 regular season.
With the Saints beginning offseason workouts, Carr’s injury impacts his participation as the Saints prepare for the new season under new head coach Kellen Moore.
Carr’s 2024 campaign was difficult as he missed seven games with oblique and hand injuries. The most recent occurred in week 14 against the New York Giants, an injury to his non-throwing hand that kept him out for the rest of the season. Carr’s absence proved to be costly as the Saints finished with a 5-12 record, finishing last in the National Football Conference (NFC) South. The quarterbacks that filled in for Carr included Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.
However, this record gives the Saints options to improve their roster as they currently hold the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft. They can choose to trade up and draft one of the quarterbacks available this year such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. Or, the Saints have $27 million in cap space which can lead to them acquiring someone who is available from this year’s free agency class or for a trade such as Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins.
While Carr has two years remaining on the contract he signed with the Saints in 2023, he has expressed an interest in entering free agency earlier than what the contract states. As a result, the Saints restructured Carr’s contract, keeping him with the club through the 2025 season when he can enter the market one year earlier than expected.
With the National Football League (NFL) Draft fast approaching, the Saints will need to find an answer to the quarterback position as the team looks to become more viable in the NFC. With the team having other areas within the roster that also need improvement, fixing one area before this year’s draft can be a good first step to returning to contention.
