Derek Carr is gone — retired. Poof. He did the Saints a solid, though. By retiring, he saved them around $30 million against the cap. That should be enough to land his replacement in free agency, right?
Speaking of free agency, there’s a future Hall of Fame quarterback still on the market. He hasn’t signed yet, even though he’s been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers for weeks, if not months.
Are Saints Really Interested in Aaron Rodgers?
According to Jeff Duncan at nola.com, “the lone free agent QB with star power, Aaron Rodgers, is not under consideration, according to sources, which makes sense for a team with a first-time, 36-year-old head coach.”
The Saints have Spencer Rattler, who has zero wins in six career NFL starts, Jake Haener, who has no wins and one start, and rookie Tyler Shough. Veteran Teddy Bridgewater could’ve been an option, but he’s told multiple sources he’s committed to coaching high school football in 2025. Carson Wentz, who backed up Patrick Mahomes in 2024, is a free agent. Still, it looks like Shough will get a real shot to prove he’s their guy.
Alvin Kamara is still a legit dual threat. He ran for 950 yards on 228 carries in 2024 and caught 68 passes for 543 yards, scoring eight total touchdowns. He’s three years removed from his Pro Bowl days, but he’s still dangerous.
Wide receiver Chris Olave is hoping to bounce back after playing in just eight games last year. He suffered his third career concussion in Week 6 against the Buccaneers. He returned in Week 8 against the Chargers but suffered another concussion in Week 9, landing him on IR for the rest of the season.
The Saints re-signed Brandin Cooks, who played for them from 2014 to 2016, on a two-year, $13 million deal. He’s had six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, but he missed seven games in 2024 due to a knee infection. That limited him to 26 catches for 259 yards and three touchdowns.
There are bright spots up front. The Saints drafted left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. in the first round this year. The Outland and Lombardi Award winner is expected to start right away. On the right side, Taliese Fuaga started all 17 games as a rookie last season after being drafted in the first round in 2024. Center Eric McCoy has made two Pro Bowls (2023, 2024).
The vibe out of New Orleans is that the Saints are ready to roll with Shough this season. He’s one of the most experienced and mature rookies from the 2025 draft, and the hope is that he can pull off a Bo Nix-type debut.