Derek Carr officially stepped away from football when the former New Orleans Saints quarterback announced his retirement on May 10, ending a career that began as the 36th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. His decision appears to be driven by health concerns, as a series of injuries, including a rotator cuff issue, prompted his exit from the game.
With Carr having left, the Saints find themselves without a clear starting quarterback heading into the summer. They selected Tyler Shough 40th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft—the franchise’s highest-drafted quarterback since Archie Manning was taken No. 2 overall in 1971—and the former Cardinal appears to be ready for the opportunity.
Tyler Shough Breaks Silence On QB Competition After Carr’s Retirement
A 13-year veteran, Carr was producing at his regular rate as early as last season and was expected to be the starter in 2025 for the Saints. Now, the onus falls on the rest of the locker room, barring any changes, to pick up the signal-calling duties.
Both Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, with their three combined years of experience, serve as the “veterans” on the team. Apart from the two, Shough is the other option, and he is happy now that he has one less player to outperform for the starting job.
“That’s all you can ask for is an opportunity, at any position,” he said. “And I’m going to treat it the same way, as if whoever is on the roster, I’ve got to continue to grow and get better and do my best to elevate the QB room and the team.”
“For me, I was going to come in regardless of him being here or not and try and continue to grow. I think he’s been such a high-level player for so long, I think it would be a great opportunity to learn from him. It’s also a great opportunity to grow myself and be on this team with a lot of great coaches and guys on the team that we have already. I’m just excited for what’s forward and the rest of our offseason.”
At the time of the draft, Carr’s status for the 2025 season was still unclear. But the prevailing notion was that he would return as the starter while Shough develops for the time being, at least in his first season.
However, the retirement has clearly led to a change in those plans. Either Rattler or Haener could theoretically take over as the starting quarterback or some veteran free agent can be brought in, but in the Saints’ best interest, Shough might be the QB to go with.
Last season, in non-Carr games, the Saints went winless in seven contests, and that number is unlikely to change with Rattler or Haener as the man behind center.
While Shough doesn’t necessarily guarantee an upgrade over those numbers, a bad season would land them in the same position with a premium draft pick in 2026, and the jury on Shough already settled.
As a 25-year-old with six years of experience at the collegiate level, there aren’t many rookies better suited to take on the task than Shough. In his final year at Louisville as the starting quarterback, he tallied an impressive 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns.
If he does indeed emerge as QB1 at the start of the season, it is likely that Shough will be the only other rookie starter outside of Cam Ward in Tennessee, with all other rookie quarterbacks having a host of veterans on the roster.
