The New Orleans Saints are probably stuck with quarterback Derek Carr next season. The team could release him with a post-June 1 designation, but there would literally be zero savings in 2025. Plus, if Carr stays healthy, he isn't a bad quarterback. He just isn't a transformative one.
But he is expensive—at least until 2026, when the team could release him and save $50 million, as he has no guaranteed money on his deal the season after next. He isn't so old that he cannot keep playing in 2026 (he will be 35 years old), but he should not be playing for the Saints. The franchise needs to do some rebuilding, and that likely starts at quarterback.
A recent 2025 mock draft might have the perfect answer to who would replace Carr long-term, though. Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone wrote that with the number 9 overall choice in the April draft, New Orleans will take Ole Miss's Jaxson Dart. Dart has many Jalen Hurts to his game, but he is not ready to play immediately.
New NFL mock draft has the New Orleans Saints taking quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round
He has the skills to be a good NFL quarterback. His arm is strong enough, and he has fantastic athletic ability, but the Rebels' scheme stunts his readiness for the league. He did not have to do much off-script at Ole Miss, and when he needed to, he made several mistakes.
That does not mean he cannot learn to adjust, though. He will need some time to adapt to the speed of NFL defenders and create plays on his own, but since Carr is still with the Saints, Dart does not have to play immediately. In other words, Dart should be a good fit for New Orleans, and New Orleans should be a good fit for Dart.
Dart will need a balanced offense, though. He should not be a volume passer because his arm strength is not great enough to challenge defenders down the field consistently. He is accurate with passes but is unlikely to be able to throw receivers open deep. He is more Brock Purdy than Geno Smith.
However, for an NFL offense to work at peak efficiency, it should be balanced, and a quarterback who does not turn the ball over easily and can go through his progressions quickly is needed. That is precisely what Dart does. Plus, the year behind Carr will only allow him to be immediately productive when the Ole Miss product becomes QB1 in Week 1 of 2026.
Dart might not be worthy of a first-round choice this year, but QBs are always over-drafted. The good part for New Orleans is that it has time to develop.