Derek Carr Saga May Have One Final Twist For Saints

It’s been an odd offseason for the New Orleans Saints and Derek Carr.

There’s no ifs, ands, or buts, about it. Carr and the Saints have been doing a song and dance all offseason. It began with Carr talking about not wanting to take a pay cut. Chatter followed about the possibility of the two sides going in different directions either through a trade or cut. New Orleans made the surprising — and expensive — decision to keep him around by restructuring his deal.

Shortly afterward it was shared that the Saints quarterback is dealing with a shoulder injury. His status for the 2025 season has been up in the air and New Orleans opted to take Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Now, another twist could be on the way. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport joined "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday and gave the latest update.

"I believe Derek Carr would like to not have surgery," Rapoport said. "I believe he would like to rehab get this thing right and get back on the field for Week 1, which my understanding is that it is still a possibility. But, there hasn't been a firm 'he's not having surgery, he's good to go' or 'he is having surgery.' If he has surgery, it's major, potentially not playing next season. That's what nobody wants. So, I believe he is doing what he can right now to get back on the field for Week 1."

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