Saints Floated As Trade Destination For Patriots Pro Bowler

It wouldn't hurt to bring a veteran quarterback into the mix for the New Orleans Saints after losing Derek Carr to retirement.

This is a topic that has been front of mind over the last few days and head coach Kellen Moore didn't shy away from it even noting that the franchise would be "open" to the right move. Well, who could that be?

It depends entirely on how the team views second-round pick Tyler Shough. If the Saints think he could be the guy in 2025, it would make sense to bring in a backup option. If they think they need a different option to win now, maybe a guy like free agent Aaron Rodgers or Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins could make sense.

It's going to be interesting to see if the Saints end up making another move. San Francisco 49ers On SI's Grant Cohn floated former New England Patriots Pro Bowler Mac Jones as a hypothetical fit.

"Just last week, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said the 49ers still see Mac Jones as a starting NFL quarterback," Cohn said. "Well, the 49ers don't currently need a starting quarterback -- they still have Brock Purdy -- but the Saints certainly need one. Their starter, Derek Carr, just retired out of the blue. Which means the top quarterback on their depth chart is rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough. So it stands to reason that the Saints might want a veteran just in case...

"The Saints could decide to roll with their young quarterbacks and tank. Next year's draft is supposed to be loaded with quarterbacks. Maybe the Saints will take one of them. But maybe the Saints want to actually compete this year. Maybe they don't want to waste every veteran's time. Maybe they'd be interested in Mac Jones. The 49ers signed Jones this offseason to a two-year deal. Clearly, they want a quality backup behind Brock Purdy if he were to get injured again. Last season, he got injured twice and missed two games."

Jones was taken with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He was a Pro Bowler as a rookie but only spent three years with the team before heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. He appeared in 10 games in 2024 and started seven.

The 26-year-old would be an interesting option in large part because he could be a solid backup or easy fill in as a starter. If you get a guy like Rodgers, you're getting him to start. Jones isn't the same, as shown through the fact that he signed with the 49ers to backup Brock Purdy. This is the type of move that would give the Saints depth while also giving Shough room for growth.

More NFL: Saints-Eagles 'Wildcard' Would Replace Derek Carr