Derek Carr retirement accelerates necessary Saints rebuild

Via a statement, the Saints shared Carr "experienced pain in his right shoulder" during a throwing session in late March, his first since suffering a season-ending injury in December 2024. 

"Medical scans determined objectively that Derek sustained a labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff," the statement continued.

New Orleans will get an idea this season of whether the team's next franchise quarterback is already on the roster, although the potential options come with concerns.

Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener got chances at the starting role last season as Carr dealt with injuries, and neither showed enough to suggest they could be a long-term option.

The Saints selected Tyler Shough, 25, with the No. 40 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. The seven-year college football veteran comes with skepticism of his own, suffering three season-ending injuries while at Texas Tech. Draft scouts also had worries about his ability to handle NFL pressure.

With Carr out of the picture, Shough could be baptized by fire as a rookie.

He should be considered the favorite to be named the starter under first-year head coach Kellen Moore, who hand-picked him in April's draft.

Shough could make the Saints' search easy by taking command of the role, although it might be likelier that he's a bridge to the team's next franchise quarterback.

The Saints went 5-12 last season, including 0-7 with Rattler and Haener starting. New Orleans could easily be one of the league's worst teams in Moore's first season, which would set it up nicely to select one of the top quarterbacks in what's expected to be stacked 2026 class, even if some (including Texas quarterback Arch Manning) remain in school.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, for example, would be a natural fit after the Saints hired his father, former Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, as their offensive coordinator this offseason.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers and Penn State quarterback Drew Allar are among the other players who could be in the running depending on how each performs this fall and during the 2026 pre-draft process.

Losing an incumbent starting quarterback would be detrimental to most teams, but the Saints are one of the few teams who could benefit. 

Carr's two seasons in New Orleans were largely forgettable and only highlighted the team's overall deficiencies.

The Saints will save financially thanks to Carr's decision, with NFL insider Ian Rapoport sharing that that the team will recoup his $30M which became guaranteed in March.

New Orleans still owes Carr the remaining of his signing bonus, but instead of continuing to spread those payments into future seasons, the Saints will have him off the ledger after 2026.

Per Spotrac, Carr should only count $35.67M against the cap in 2026. He had a $63,207,000 2026 cap number before announcing his retirement.

The Saints were going nowhere with Carr. By retiring, he's forced the team to finally face its reality.

It's time for a rebuild. The next step is finding a quarterback.