Crisis In New Orleans As Derek Carr Injury Threatens 2025 Season: Report

The New Orleans Saints offseason has gone off the proverbial rails and the regular-season is now at risk following a report that starting quarterback Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that potentially could keep him out the entire 2025 season.

The NFL Network reported Carr is dealing with an injury that obviously happened this offseason, and he is now weighing options for addressing the problem, including surgery.

Derek Carr. (Getty Images)

Derek Carr Injury Changes Everything

Depending on the specific injury and its seriousness, shoulder surgery could cost Carr an entire year of recovery before he's 100 percent.

And, yes, that would be a problem for the team.

The Saints hired Kellen Moore as their new coach following the Super Bowl and he immediately announced that Carr would be his starting quarterback this coming season.

Only two days ago, club leader Cameron Jordan was on national television discussing his team and said, "Give me a healthy Derek Carr and I can tell you where a healthy Saints state of mind will be."

Not so fast.

NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener (3) and quarterback Derek Carr (4) look on against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half at Caesars Superdome on Dec. 29, 2024. Photo: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Derek Carr Has Struggle With Health

Carr hasn't been healthy in a while. He played only 10 games for the team last year. Carr fractured his left (non-throwing) hand in multiple places and dealt with a concussion and finished the season watching from the sidelines.

Carr has played 27 games for the team since signing a four-year, $150 million contract in March of 2023. The Saints are 14-13 in the games Carr has started for them. 

So the obvious question:

What now?

Even if Carr finds an option that won't force him to miss the entire season, it's pretty clear he will be spending much of the offseason trying to overcome his injury challenge.

And not missing the full season does not preclude the situation from costing Carr some games.

So the Saints need a possible starting quarterback option.

Saints coach Dennis Allen, owner Gayle Benson, general manager Mickey Loomis and Derek Carr pose for a picture at New Orleans Saints Indoor Practice Facility in Louisiana.  (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Saints May Turn to Draft For A QB

The obvious first option might be the draft. 

The Saints hold the No. 9 selection in the draft and have been linked to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders on numerous occasions.

That is an avenue the Saints might go as long as Sanders is available – a strong possibility.

The Saints might also decide their best course is to select a quarterback not named Sanders later in the draft, perhaps in the second round.

And, of course, the club might make a run at trading for Kirk Cousins.

That one is a long shot.

First, Cousins is currently on the Falcons and that means that team would have to feel comfortable trading its backup quarterback to a division rival and potentially play him twice next season.

MINNEAPOLIS - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 8, 2024. Photo: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Kirk Cousins Seems Unlikely Option

That doesn't mean the Falcons wouldn't do it but the guess here is Atlanta would like to extract some serious compensation from the Saints for taking that inter-divisional gamble.

That would likely mean the Saints would have to pay a significant portion of Cousins' dead money that would otherwise be left on Atlanta's books following any trade.

And the Falcons might still also want a draft pick that happens somewhere in the middle of the draft.

Cousins would also have to waive his no-trade clause to allow this to go forward, not a certainty given that the Saints aren't just dumping Carr.

So Cousins would be parachuting onto a team that already has a starter, just not at the moment.

It's all an unlikely scenario. But Cousins, frankly, is kind of running out of options if he's going to be someone's starter in 2025.

And based on the sound of the Carr situation, that suddenly looks like the Saints.