In an abrupt turn of events, the New Orleans Saints will enter the 2025 NFL season with a new starting quarterback under center.
According to sources close to NFL Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo, Saints quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement from the NFL after an 11-year career. The decision came in the wake of Carr searching for a non-surgical solution to his nagging offseason shoulder injury.
The New Orleans Saints official website provided further insight into Carr’s injury which led to his eventual retirement.
“In late March, while ramping up his preparation for the 2025 season, Derek experienced pain in his right shoulder. It was his first time throwing a football at significant volume since recovering from both a concussion and left-hand injury sustained during play on December 8, 2024. Derek immediately contacted the Saints Medical Team.
Eventually, medical scans determined objectively that Derek sustained a labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff.
Since that time, Derek, his representation, the Saints Medical Team and outside medical experts have worked together to determine the best path forward. Surgery was an option, jeopardizing the entire 2025 season, yet there was no guarantee Derek would return to the level of strength, function and performance of play to which he was accustomed.”
“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” Carr said in a team statement. “For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”
The longtime Oakland/Las Vegas Raider finished his two-year Saints tenure with an above .500 record through 27 games (14-13), 6023 passing yards, four pro bowl nods, 40 touchdown tosses, 13 interceptions, 0 division titles and 0 playoff appearances. Over his career, Carr accumulated more than 41,000 career passing yards, 257 career touchdown tosses, 112 career interceptions, a 65.1 career completion percentage, four pro bowls and 1 playoff appearance.
Carr’s retirement from the NFL presents some nuance to his most recent contract situation. According to NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett, the Saints will still owe their two-year starter $10 million from his $40 million fully guaranteed roster bonus.
However, the franchise will not owe him $30 million in salary which was previously an injury guaranteed payout. It thus brings Carr’s two-year $70 million cap hit to $13.207 million for 2025 and $35.67 million for 2026 once the retirement is filed after June 1st.
State of The Saints’ Quarterback Room
With the Saints previous starter officially off the roster, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and Tyler Shough are the team’s remaining quarterback options. Haener is the elderstatesman of the group as a third-year pro while Rattler and Shough will be entering their second and first NFL seasons respectively.
Shough seems like the prime candidate to start Week 1 due to his direct allegiance to the team’s new coaching staff. He was regarded as head coach Kellen Moore’s top quarterback prospect in this year’s NFL Draft and features a variety of NFL tools despite being a 25-year-old second-round selection.
A quarterback competion through training camp and the preseason seems inevitable since Rattler, Haener and Shough having a combined seven NFL starts amongst them. Rattler started six of those seven a season ago with mixed individual results, an injury-riddled lineup and zero wins to his name.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea if New Orleans added a veteran option to its signal caller room as well. It’ll likely have to be done through an offseason trade since some of the league’s ideal bridge options are on current NFL rosters.
