Everyone concedes that quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) was dealing with a torn right labrum and "significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff," but not everyone believes it's the full story of why he abruptly retired, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Katherine Terrell. Just before free agency in early March, word began to spread within league circles that Carr, who was heading into the third year of a four-year, $150 million contract, was open to playing elsewhere. According to three league sources, one of his representatives spoke with at least two teams in the market for a QB about potential interest in Carr. A team source said Carr had a close kinship with last season's coaches in New Orleans, who are all now gone, and the Saints' plan to restructure his contract was another potential source of friction. New head coach Kellen Moore never fully committed to Carr being the starter in 2025, either, before learning of his shoulder injury. It sounds as though in addition to his shoulder injury, Carr knew 2025 was going to be his last with the Saints, and rather than trying to figure out a plan to play elsewhere, he decided to hang up his cleats.
May 16, 2025 12:31 PM EST
Retired quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is "extremely unlikely" to make a comeback in 2026, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The 34-year-old is already making other professional plans. Carr will eventually land on the New Orleans Saints' reserve/retired list, and an unretirement in 2026 would likely trigger an immediate release of his rights given that his 2025 salary of $30 million would immediately hit the salary cap. Anything could happen after Carr is away from the game for a year and his shoulder heals up, but for now he is done playing professional football. With Carr now out of the picture, the Saints plan to have an open competition this summer between rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough, second-year QB Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. Shough is the current favorite to win the job, but Rattler has the most experience in the NFL.
May 14, 2025 11:09 AM EST
The New Orleans Saints announced on Saturday that quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is retiring. Carr experienced pain in his right shoulder in March while ramping up his preparation for the 2025 season, and medical scans showed that he was dealing with a labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff. Surgery was an option, which would have knocked him out for all of 2025, but there still wasn't a guarantee that he'd return to the same level of strength, function and performance. After discussing with his wife, Heather, Carr has decided to hang up his cleats after 11 seasons in the NFL. In 169 regular-season starts, Carr made four Pro Bowls and threw for 41,245 yards, 257 touchdowns and 112 interceptions, with all but two of his seasons coming with the Raiders. With Carr now out of the picture in the Big Easy, second-round rookie Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler will battle for the starting gig in training camp.
May 10, 2025 11:14 AM EST
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is dealing with a right-shoulder that could cause him to miss the start of the 2025 season this fall. Per NFL Network's Jane Slater, Carr thinks he suffered the injury in Week 14 against the New York Giants, the same game he also suffered a left-wrist injury. The 34-year-old veteran was shut down for the rest of the year shortly after that with the Saints out of playoff contention, so Carr didn't really start ramping up his throwing until recently, when he realized his shoulder wasn't right. Slater goes on to say that Carr has had surgery on his shoulder before and would like to avoid another surgery, so he wants to see if he can play through it. He has been to New Orleans twice in recent weeks to meet with the team doctor and remains in constant contact with GM Mickey Loomis. With Carr's status up in the air to start 2025, New Orleans drafted rookie QB Tyler Shough in the second round.
May 6, 2025 11:13 PM EST
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder), who has been staying in contact with team officials, said he has gotten an MRI exam and everyone is trying to figure out his next step. There have been rampant rumors that Carr is using his shoulder injury to try and force his way out of New Orleans. It remains to be seen if that's the case, but either way, the 34-year-old veteran signal-caller could need surgery on his shoulder, which would likely mean he wouldn't be ready for the start of the 2025 season this fall. Given the uncertainty around Carr, the Saints selected quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of this year's NFL draft on Friday as an insurance policy. Depending on Carr's injury situation, Shough could be asked to make starts for the Saints sooner than later in 2025. Carr's fantasy value, meanwhile, continues to drop after another disappointing season in New Orleans in 2024.
Apr 28, 2025 1:37 PM EST
New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis acknowledged that quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is dealing with a shoulder injury that could require surgery and that the organization hopes to have some clarity on the situation soon. There are a lot of question marks about Carr's future with the Saints, and it was recently reported that the 34-year-old signal-caller could be in danger of missing the start of the 2025 campaign. It has led many to believe that New Orleans will target a young QB in this week's draft, possibly even with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round on Thursday night. Outside of Carr, the Saints currently have Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and Ben DiNucci in their quarterback room. Even if Carr avoids shoulder surgery, stays with the Saints and is their Week 1 starter this fall, he'll be ignored in most 12-team fantasy drafts.
Apr 23, 2025 1:38 PM EST
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is now dealing with a shoulder injury that threatens his availability for the start of the 2025 season, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Carr is currently weighing his options, which includes possible surgery. This is big news, especially with the 2025 NFL draft right around the corner. However, even if Carr was completely healthy, it wouldn't have been much of a surprise if the Saints were considering using a draft pick on a young signal-caller this year with Carr's future with the team beyond this year uncertain. Now that he could miss the start of the 2025 campaign this fall, though, QB should be a bigger priority. Carr, 34, missed seven games with hand and oblique injuries last year and was underwhelming as a QB2 in fantasy before the injuries. If Carr is forced to miss the early portion of 2025, a rookie QB could compete with Spencer Rattler for starts under center.
Apr 11, 2025 7:31 PM EST
Per Kevin Patra of NFL.com, New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore is excited to team up with quarterback Derek Carr for the 2025 season. "I think we've been consistent through this whole process," Moore said. "We feel really good about Derek, and we're excited to team up with him...We want him here, and it'll be a good situation." The Saints' new head coach also noted he believes that the veteran can improve from last year's injury-plagued season. Carr and New Orleans started 2024 on fire, scoring 44+ points in each of their first two contests. However, it was all downhill from there, as the team imploded and the 33-year-old dealt with abdomen and hand injuries that forced him to miss seven games. If the Fresno State alum can stay healthy, he'll undoubtedly be more productive this upcoming season. The vote of confidence from his head coach is nice, but he projects as nothing more than a middling QB2 and potential streaming option regarding fantasy.
Mar 11, 2025 7:45 PM EST
Per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the New Orleans Saints are expected to convert most of quarterback Derek Carr's 2025 compensation into a signing bonus for salary cap purposes. According to Garafolo, Carr is lined up to receive all $40 million owed to him. It's a sure sign that New Orleans intends to keep the veteran on as their full-time QB this coming season. The 33-year-old appeared in just ten contests in 2024 while dealing with abdomen and hand injuries and failed to toss more than 20 passing touchdowns for the first time since 2018. However, he'll return as the Saints' signal-caller for the third straight season. He's proven to be a viable QB2/streaming option in the right matchup. Still, the team will need to surround the Fresno State product with a more feasible arsenal of weapons for fantasy managers to comfortably slot him into their lineups every week.
Mar 8, 2025 7:39 PM EST
New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said on Wednesday at the NFL Combine that the team feels like they can win with quarterback Derek Carr, and new head coach Kellen Moore also said the team feels fortunate to have Carr on the roster. The Saints still have contract stuff to figure out with Carr, but as things currently stand, it sounds like the team plans on bringing the 33-year-old veteran back in 2025. Carr has a $51.4 million cap hit in 2025, and the Saints currently have the worst cap situation in the NFL, so something has to give. Restructuring his contract could free up $31 million this year, although it would push his cap hit to around $69 million in 2026. Carr played in a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to a broken hand and a concussion. Even with Moore in town, fantasy managers in 12-team, one-QB leagues are going to be avoiding him in drafts this fall.
Feb 26, 2025 5:29 PM EST
Although reports to this point suggest that the New Orleans Saints will keep quarterback Derek Carr around in new head coach Kellen Moore's first season in 2025, The Athletic's Amos Morale III also points out that Carr is the most obvious cut candidate as well. Moore was non-committal about Carr's future during his introductory press conference, and the Saints are roughly $51 million over the projected 2025 salary cap. Cutting the veteran signal-caller would add to the team's league-leading dead-money total, according to Spotrac, but the Saints have a lot of those contracts coming off the books in 2026. If Moore and his coaching staff decide to stick with Carr, they will at the very least need to restructure his deal. The 33-year-old dealt with more injuries in 2024 and played in a career-low 10 games. Carr has become a pretty big injury risk and will carry a $30 million base salary and $10 million roster bonus in 2025.
Feb 22, 2025 12:09 PM EST
Rumors have been swirling that New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr could be traded or cut this offseason, but NFL insider Adam Schefter said Carr "will probably be the team's QB1 entering 2025." Carr has $10 million in contract guarantees with another $30 million scheduled to kick in on March 15. The organization moving on from the veteran would only save them a few million dollars against the cap, so it's not likely to happen. Since signing with New Orleans ahead of the 2023 campaign, the former Las Vegas Raider has thrown for 6,023 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 27 games. At Fresno State, Carr played against Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, who is now his head coach in the NFL.
Feb 11, 2025 2:27 PM EST
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the New Orleans Saints will decide on the future of their quarterback, Derek Carr, in the next few weeks. With the Saints over the salary cap, they may opt to part ways with Carr to shed salary. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network noted that he expects Carr to have several suitors if he were to enter the open market. The 33-year-old was only able to play in 10 games this season due to an oblique and hand injury. Across this stint, Carr averaged 214.5 passing yards per game with a 15:5 TD:INT ratio. While Carr was sidelined, rookie Spencer Rattler saw most of the starting opportunities. If the team were to part ways with Carr, Rattler would likely be given an opportunity to compete for the starting job during training camp. Rattler tallied 1,317 yards during his rookie season with a 4:5 TD:INT ratio. In addition, the Saints may also target a quarterback with the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Feb 9, 2025 4:52 PM EST
New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said on Monday that he still has a high level of confidence in quarterback Derek Carr. In his second season in New Orleans, Carr missed the final four games of the season due to a concussion and broken hand and missed a total of seven games due to injury in total. In the 10 starts that Carr did make, he completed 67.7% of his 279 pass attempts for a career-low 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. The four-time Pro Bowler has played in only 17 games in his two seasons in the Big Easy and carries an absurd $51 million salary cap hit in 2025. The 33-year-old doesn't have any guaranteed money left on the final two years of his deal, but it will still be tough for the Saints to move on given his salary cap hit. Carr's $30 million base salary and $10 million roster bonus for 2025 will kick in in the middle of March, so we should have more clarity by then.
Jan 13, 2025 4:36 PM EST
Per Mike Triplett of the team, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (hand) is reportedly "very confident" he'll be back with the Saints in 2025. New Orleans came out of the gates hot this season -- winning their first two games by a combined 91-29 margin before it all came crashing down. They'd finish at 5-12 after sustaining many injuries on both sides of the ball, and their starting quarterback also fell victim to that team trend. Carr missed seven games in 2024 after battling a core muscle injury and a fracture in his non-throwing hand -- culminating in the worst statistical season of his career. Unfortunately, it's a lost season for him and the team, but he'll look to give it at least one more go next year. Presently, his contract locks him up with New Orleans through 2026.
Jan 5, 2025 9:43 PM EST
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (hand) has officially been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meaning rookie Spencer Rattler will make his sixth start of the year to wrap things up for the Saints. Carr suffered a fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand in the Week 14 win over the New York Giants and wasn't able to return to the field this year. The 33-year-old finishes up a disappointing second season in the Big Easy in which he battled multiple injuries yet again. In a career-low 10 games played in 2024, Carr also had career-lows in passing yards (2,145) and touchdowns (15) while throwing five interceptions. Given the Saints' salary cap situation heading into the future, it's likely they'll approach a contract restructure for Carr to return in 2025, where he could compete for the starting job with Rattler.
Jan 3, 2025 3:23 PM EST
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (hand) missed his second straight practice of the week on Thursday as he continues to rehab from a broken left (non-throwing) hand that he suffered in the Week 14 win over the New York Giants. Carr has held out hope all along that he'd be able to return before the end of the regular season, but it's looking increasingly likely that he'll miss his fourth straight game in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 33-year-old veteran signal-caller has dealt with more injuries in 2024 and is going to finish with only 2,145 passing yards, a career-low 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 starts in his second year in New Orleans. With Carr most likely being ruled out on Friday, rookie Spencer Rattler will close out the year as the Saints' starter under center.
Jan 2, 2025 5:52 PM EST
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (hand) did not practice on Wednesday. Carr has been sidelined since suffering this injury during their Week 14 victory over the New York Giants. While sidelined, Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler have each been given starting opportunities. While Carr has expressed interest in returning this season, seeing him open the week as a non-participant is not a positive sign. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week. If Carr cannot play, Spencer Rattler will likely get his third-straight start. Last weekend, during his loss to the Raiders, he threw for 218 yards, one score, and two interceptions. He would be viewed as a risky QB2 facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jan 1, 2025 4:30 PM EST
New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said on Monday that the team will evaluate where quarterback Derek Carr (hand) is this week after he didn't make much progress last week when they simulated some game-like situation. The head coach said the function the Saints are looking for with Carr is mostly taking a snap, having grip strength, and being able to switch hands. Carr has been out since fracturing his left (non-throwing) hand in Week 14. While the veteran signal-caller still wants to play, the Saints have been eliminated from postseason contention and won't risk the QB's health if they aren't satisfied with his progress this week. The 33-year-old has once again battle a multitude of injuries in 2024 and has been a low-upside, low-end QB2 in fantasy, averaging 18.0 points per game, which ranks him as the QB23. Rookie Spencer Rattler will make another start if Carr is eventually ruled out.
Dec 30, 2024 7:14 PM EST
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (hand) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 33-year-old will miss his third-straight game and set his sights on returning during the final week to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carr sustained this hand injury during their Week 14 victory over the New York Giants. Carr was also unable to return to practice all week. As a result, rookie Spencer Rattler will get another start. Last week, the 24-year-old threw for just 153 yards and added 28 yards on the ground during their loss to the Green Bay Packers. While he is not a viable option in 1QB formats this weekend, he should be in a better position to succeed as top wideout Chris Olave (concussion) was able to return to practice this week and is in a good position to suit up despite his questionable tag.
Dec 27, 2024 4:16 PM EST
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