The New Orleans Saints’ quarterback situation is about as up in the air as it gets right now. With Derek Carr nursing a shoulder injury, the Saints took a chance on former Louisville QB Tyler Shough early in the second round of April’s draft just a year after drafting Spencer Rattler, who started six games for the Saints in the 2024 season.
Now, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has dropped a major update on what Carr intends to do to start the 2025 season including whether he may be able to suit up in Week 1.
Saints QB Derek Carr Wants to Skip Shoulder Surgery, Play in Week 1 Matchup
Speaking on a recent episode of the “Pat McAfee Show,” Rapoport revealed that Carr plans to skip shoulder surgery at this time and start an intensive rehab program. His goal is to be under center in Week 1 when the Saints take the field.
“I believe Derek Carr would like to not have surgery,” Rapoport said. “I believe he would like to rehab, get this thing right, get back on the field for Week 1. Which, from my understanding, is still at least a possibility.”
Sports doctor Jesse Morse, CEO of The Injury Expertz, speculated that Carr will “have a tough time keeping the shoulder healthy the entire season” if he doesn’t get surgery.
Of course, that’s to be taken with a grain of salt, as the public doesn’t know exactly what happened to Carr’s shoulder. Morse based his projection on the assumption that Carr is dealing with a torn labrum.
“All it will take is one hit to the shoulder, or [being] driven into the ground and any [stability] gained with just physical therapy will be lost,” he wrote on X.
Derek Carr
Update
The 34-year-old is reportedly reluctant to undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder after previously having a procedure on the same arm.
Sounds like he suffered the injury in Week 14 of last season, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater.
Per Slater, Carr… https://t.co/xO9uY5Iya4 pic.twitter.com/9ln2jIqvaL
— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) May 8, 2025
According to Rapoport, Carr’s camp and the Saints have yet to reach a decisive conclusion on whether or not the 34-year-old will get surgery, with the major deterrent being the chance any potential operation ends his season before it has a chance to begin.
“There’s been no firm ‘He’s not having surgery. He’s good to go,’ or ‘He is having surgery,'” Rapoport continued. “If he has surgery, it’s major, [he’s] potentially not playing next season. That’s what nobody wants, so I believe he is doing what he can now to try to get back on the field in Week 1 and we will see where it ends up.”
Evaluating Other QB Options in New Orleans
If Carr — a four-time Pro Bowler and the unquestioned starter when healthy — can’t take the field in Week 1, the Saints QB room is a massive question mark.
Newly minted head coach Kellen Moore will have to make a decision between 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener, 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler and 2025 second-rounder Tyler Shough. None of those options are well-known names.
Haener and Rattler combined for seven starts during Carr’s absence in 2024. In that span, the Saints went 0-7 with the two backups throwing a paltry five touchdowns and six interceptions.
That aside, draft capital speaks volumes, and since Shough was not only the highest-drafted QB of that group, but also the only one picked under Moore’s regime, he looks to have the best chance at starting in September if Carr is out of the picture.