Much to the dismay of fans, the New Orleans Saints recently revealed their intention to move into next season with Derek Carr as the team’s quarterback. Despite two underwhelming seasons, filled with injuries from the veteran quarterback, and the fact that his cap hit is north of $50 million next season, the Saints believe it makes more sense to keep him on the roster.
Of course, fans, who’ve been ready to move on from Carr since he arrived in New Orleans, weren’t happy to hear this. Many have argued that the Saints’ ceiling with Carr is average at best, and it’s time for the franchise to move on to a younger quarterback.
Anyone who shares that belief will rejoice after hearing what Ian Rapoport recently reported. The longtime NFL insider revealed that while New Orleans is planning to keep Carr, the decision will ultimately come down to agreeing with the veteran quarterback on how to proceed with his contract. Rapoport says if Carr and the team can’t agree, that he could still end up being cut this offseason.
From our Combine coverage: @MoveTheSticks opined that he believes the #Steelers should sign QB Justin Fields and I weighed in on what's next for Pittsburgh at the QB position. pic.twitter.com/ECcizcmP6r
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 3, 2025
Saints could still cut Derek Carr if they don’t find a solution for his contract
When New Orleans discussed keeping Carr, it was said that the team still had to figure out what to do with his contract. However, the Saints don’t have many options. Carr has already made it clear that he’s not taking a pay cut, and it wouldn’t make sense for the franchise to restructure in a way that adds years to Carr’s deal. New Orleans is trying to move on from him, not keep him around any longer.
With both options likely off the table, it’s not much New Orleans can do, but they need to do something to help with their cap situation. That could ultimately mean reversing course and cutting the veteran QB. While that would make some fans happy, the Saints would still need to find a quarterback, and they’d also have a massive dead cap hit.
If that happens, the best path forward for New Orleans would be drafting a first-round quarterback. The Saints have drafted quarterbacks in each of the last two seasons, but they were mid-round selections. The team hasn’t taken a first-round QB since 1971, when Archie Manning was selected. With reports that Shedeur Sanders could slip out of the top five, the Saints may have a chance to land him.
New Orleans also could just go all in on Spencer Rattler. It may sound foolish since he didn’t win a game in six starts last season, but he was a rookie playing with a depleted offense, and still had some impressive moments. If that’s the approach the Saints want to take without Carr, it’d be understandable.