Derek Carr has had a strange 2025 offseason. He was limited to 10 games last season because of multiple injuries, and reported a shoulder injury just before the 2025 NFL Draft.
The new injury could potentially keep Carr out for next season, but there haven’t been many updates since the initial announcement. One NFL insider recently shed some light on Carr’s situation, and if he’s been communicating with the New Orleans Saints.
Insider Claims Decision on Derek Carr’s 2025 Coming Soon
Carr joined the Saints in 2023 after spending his first nine years with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. He’s failed to reach the playoffs in his two seasons with New Orleans but has amassed a 14-13 record.
In 10 games last season, Carr threw for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The Saints scored 91 points in the first two weeks, but were in the early stages of a seven-game losing streak when Carr went down with a Week 5 oblique injury.
By the time he returned, New Orleans was out of playoff contention, and Dennis Allen was fired.
Carr stabilized the Saints, but was lost for the season after fracturing his hand and suffering a concussion in Week 14. New Orleans closed out the game against the New York Giants, but lost the remaining four games.
The Saints saved $30 million by restructuring Carr’s contract this offseason, but they won’t be able to move on from the veteran without taking a massive dead money hit until after the 2025 season.
The restructuring was seen as the team committing to Carr for 2025, but the injury news timing is suspect. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini called it “fishy” on her “Scoop City” podcast, and the Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
NFL Network’s Jane Slater recently provided an update on Carr and had a lengthy explanation for his injury secrecy and what the communication between Carr and the Saints has been like.
Slater said, “I’ve covered some interesting stories that have had twists and turns, and this might be one of the more interesting ones I’ve covered, Tom, in my almost 10 years here at the NFL Network. When I was in New Orleans, it came out before the draft that Derek Carr had this shoulder injury. I think it shocked a lot of people that are familiar with the team. Mickey Loomis wasn’t elaborating on it, despite getting pressed by reporters.”
Slater continued, “I’ve asked a lot of questions…when did this shoulder injury take place? I’ve gotten a little bit more information today. It’s my understanding that Derek Carr absolutely believes that this shoulder injury took place during the same game that he injured the wrist.
“Why are we just hearing about it now? Well, it’s my understanding that he wasn’t throwing after he injured the wrist…He didn’t really start throwing a bunch until about here lately, while he was getting ready to start ramping up for the spring, and that’s when he noticed that he had this issue in his shoulder.”
The timing of the injury announcement left the Saints in a tough position. They had little time to alter their draft strategy, but needed to find a legitimate quarterback option; otherwise, they’d be stuck with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener again.
Slater then addressed why Carr has been absent from the team’s offseason workouts.
“So it’s my understanding that he has had surgery to that shoulder before…Sounds like he is trying to avoid that, but he wants to see if he can actually play through with this shoulder injury. The other thing that’s come up, Tom, is that I’ve heard people down in New Orleans say, ‘Where is Carr? Why isn’t he around the building?’
“It’s my understanding that he’s been down to New Orleans twice in the last few weeks. He’s met with the team doctor at the facility. It’s unclear if he’s met with Kellen Moore in person. I know he and Kellen Moore have at least talked, but…it’s beginning to feel like maybe Carr was giving them the middle finger.
“It is my understanding, according to someone close to him, that is not the case here. He has tried to figure out what makes the most sense for his shoulder, and he is in constant communication with Mickey Loomis, but it sounds like there will be a decision sooner rather than later. That’s all the update I can give you.”
Any new head coach would want his starting quarterback in the building for offseason workouts. It sounds like Carr has been around the team’s facility, but it’s unclear how much he’s talked to Moore.
The Saints have potentially found their quarterback of the future in Shough, so it should be easier to move on from Carr if the shoulder injury keeps him off the field in 2025.