The Saints finally seemed to have put their quarterback mess behind them, but Derek Carr managed to drag it right back into the conversation.
New Orleans spent much of last season living with the uncertainty at quarterback. Carr was expected to be the starter, but his status never felt settled, especially with Kellen Moore taking over and the team’s results not matching the standard anyone wanted. Even before the season fully turned, the idea of moving on from Carr was already in the air.
Then the Saints shifted their attention to the 2025 draft and landed Tyler Shough. Once Carr was gone, the competition opened up between Shough and Spencer Rattler, and Rattler came out on top. He got the early run, played well enough to get the offense moving, and then the Saints made another change, naming Shough the starter.
That decision has paid off. Shough has flashed real promise, lifted the offense, and given New Orleans a reason to believe it finally has its franchise quarterback. The Saints are winning, the offense looks better, and the quarterback talk should have ended there.
Instead, Carr became a rumor again.
With teams across the league still searching for answers under center, speculation started building that Carr could come out of retirement and sign with another team. The chatter got louder because Carr himself did nothing to shut it down.
In fact, he added to it. The Saints may have moved on, but the quarterback conversation around Carr is still hanging around anyway.
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