Derek Carr’s 2025 status is currently up in the air. It was revealed over the weekend that the New Orleans Saints quarterback is dealing with an injury to his throwing shoulder.
Further muddying the waters is whether Carr chooses to have surgery or continue to play through an injury that reportedly dates back to 2023, when he sprained his AC joint.
How Does Carr’s Injury Impact the Saints Short and Long Term?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports the situation is getting more complicated in the Big Easy. Things changed after former Saints head coach Dennis Allen was fired in November and replaced by Kellen Moore — and now, Carr reportedly wants to be traded.
“While how and when and whether at all the trade request officially went in is unclear, other teams were under the impression that Carr was seeking a new home, as some quarterback-needy ones considered him a potential option for 2025,” Breer wrote.
Breer added that the Saints didn’t seem to view Carr’s injury as a roadblock to the upcoming season. “The Saints converted $28.745 million of his $30 million base salary into a signing bonus (taking his base all the way down to the league minimum),” Breer wrote. “In doing so, it locked New Orleans into paying that money for 2025, meaning if Carr was traded, the Saints would be paying Carr to play for someone else this fall.”
That puts the Saints in a tough spot. Even if they find a trade partner, Carr would have to waive his no-trade clause. And if surgery is ultimately required, New Orleans would be on the hook for his salary without having a starting quarterback in place.
Carr played in only 10 games last season, throwing for 2,145 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions. He completed 67.7% of his passes but averaged just 7.7 yards per attempt — not exactly lighting it up downfield.
They could make a run at Aaron Rodgers, who still hasn’t signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. More likely, they’ll draft a quarterback with the No. 9 pick. Whether or not Carr misses the 2025 season, he carries a $69 million cap hit in 2026. Betting on Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe or Kyle McCord might be the clearest path forward.
PFSN’s Jacob Infante has the Saints drafting cornerback Will Johnson out of Michigan at No. 9 overall in his latest mock draft, after the Steelers trade up to select Shedeur Sanders in a trade with the New York Jets for the No. 7 pick. The Saints have widely been expected to draft Sanders at No. 9, so they may have to consider trading up if they want Sanders to be their quarterback of the future.
However Carr’s situation plays out, the Saints may have to consider life after him sooner than they expected.