The New Orleans Saints are suddenly entering the 2025 season as one of the most uncertain teams in the entire NFL landscape. After a relatively quiet offseason, a shoulder injury to their quarterback, Derek Carr, turned out to be much worse than initially anticipated, forcing him into retirement.
That has left the starting QB job wide open, with three names vying for the spot. For the time being, head coach Kellen Moore has left the spot up for grabs. But one analyst believes that the search for a QB1 in New Orleans will come to an end next year, courtesy of the 2026 NFL Draft.
New Orleans Saints Predicted to Find Franchise Quarterback
Derek Carr came to the Saints following a nine-year career with the Raiders, where he earned four Pro Bowl selections and led them to the playoffs twice. A four-year contract worth $150 million was the answer from New Orleans to life after Drew Brees.
However, over his two seasons with the team, Carr didn’t make the playoffs once, with his second year coming to an end prematurely thanks to a fractured hand. Ultimately, it ended up causing him to retire with a labral tear and damage to his rotator cuff too significant.
That has left the starting quarterback position up for grabs, with Moore making it clear that any one of Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, or Tyler Shough could take over the spot. PFSN believes that Shough might be the best option for New Orleans, considering the situation they are in.
They broke down two scenarios, with either the Saints finding their franchise quarterback in Shough or the team getting a top-end draft pick in 2026. The first mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft from Joe DeLeone believes the second is the more likely option.
In that case, he believes Fernando Mendoza, out of Indiana, could end up as a member of the New Orleans Saints with the third overall pick. DeLeone explained his choice, “While the New Orleans Saints drafted Tyler Shough in 2025, finishing with a top-three pick will completely change their perspective.”
But for Mendoza in particular, he believed, “Fernando Mendoza is an intriguing quarterback prospect with the tools to improvise and win outside of structure. Kellen Moore will be highly excited about molding his offense around him.”
Over his first two years at California, he has shown himself to be an incredibly efficient passer, tallying over 3,000 yards in his sophomore season along with a career total of 34 touchdowns to his credit.