Mickey Loomis maintained Derek Carr would be the New Orleans Saints starting quarterback if he was healthy. That never seemed likely, but expressing the sentiment kept the door open to it being reality.
That's no longer an option, as Carr announced his retirement Saturday morning. The shoulder injury that put his season in jeopardy, cost Carr his career. The Saints are officially moving on from Derek Carr, and they're prepared to do so with their two young quarterbacks, Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough.
Spencer Rattler vs. Tyler Shough
Rattler versus Shough was already the main attraction of the upcoming Saints training camp, but Carr's retirement places a bigger spotlight on the battle. While eyes were already glued to the young options competing to lead the Saints in the Kellen Moore era, Carr was always a talking point as well. With Carr completely out of the picture, undivided attention can be given to the young quarterbacks.
There's also no safety net anymore. That's what Carr essentially represented to a team who is going through a rebuild. He was a veteran quarterback that made some higher ups feel comfortable in the ability to compete in a poor division. Rolling with two inexperienced quarterbacks doesn't provide that comfort.
What it does is give the Saints an opportunity to truly move into the future. Holding on to Carr is like holding on to the old guard. New Orleans took the step to prepare for Carr's departure by picking Shough in the second round. There was no need to delay the inevitable, but it seemed the Saints may try to. As unfortunate as Carr's retirement is, it pushes the Saints in the direction they needed.
Shough is on the field for rookie minicamps, and Rattler has been present at offseason workouts. Outside of workouts organized by the team, both young players have been proactive in their displays of leadership.
Rattler has been in the league for a year longer, but last season didn't provide a quality opportunity to display his strengths. There were clear flashes and struggles in his game that he needs to balance out, but he should show his true skillset with a full supporting cast.
Shough is coming over from Louisville with a clean slate and lining up to be the early favorite in the battle. Expect this competition to go down to the wire and possibly to the last preseason game before a winner is announced.