NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints have a quarterback problem.
The Saints were moving ahead with starting quarterback Derek Carr one week ago. On April 11, it was reported that Carr is dealing with a shoulder issue, a problem that wasn’t publicly known until days before the team’s voluntary offseason workout program started.
When the team found out about Carr’s injury is unknown, although a league source said that some of the assistant coaches were unaware of the situation before the news leaked. The injury’s severity is also unclear at this point.
New Saints coach Kellen Moore initially appeared noncommittal about Carr in his opening news conference. He later publicly supported Carr in interviews conducted during the NFL scouting combine and the annual league meeting in March.
The Saints backed up that commitment by restructuring Carr’s contract in early March, although league sources told ESPN that Carr was open to testing the market and looking elsewhere in the days leading up to the restructure. New Orleans has language in all of its players’ contracts called the “automatic conversion clause” that allows the team to restructure any contract. According to the language in the contract, a refusal or failure to promptly execute the new contract would put the player in default of the contract.
While the restructure freed up salary cap space in 2025, it also tied the Saints to Carr this year by fully guaranteeing both his $40 million base salary and $10 million roster bonus. Only a few exceptions could void those guarantees, such as an NFL suspension or club suspension for conduct detrimental, retirement or leaving the team without consent.
According to the contract, an injury also does not void guarantees, provided it was football-related “sustained while performing his services under this Contract” and that it was “promptly and fully disclosed” to the team.
New Orleans posted a short video and photo gallery of Monday’s workout, and multiple veteran players were featured, including defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Chase Young, linebacker Demario Davis and offensive lineman Erik McCoy. Carr, running back Alvin Kamara, safety Tyrann Mathieu and tight ends Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau — both dealing with injuries — were not among the players posted. Carr did not comment on his absence but posted a car review on his Instagram account the same day.
If Carr misses time this season, the Saints have three healthy quarterbacks on the roster: Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and Ben DiNucci. Rattler started six games for the Saints when Carr was out with two different injuries and also replaced Haener in the second half of his lone start.
Haener and Rattler were a combined 0-7 in their starts last season under former coach Dennis Allen and interim coach Darren Rizzi. The Saints now have a new head coach in Moore and almost an entirely new set of coaches, who could have their own ideas about what they want in a quarterback.
The Saints hold the ninth pick in the draft and have $27 million in available cap space, although only a few quarterbacks with starting experience remain on the market. If the Saints look outside the building, here’s who is still available in free agency and who could be available on the first few days of the NFL draft, which begins on Thursday.
Free agent options
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers, 41, said he hasn’t made any decisions about his playing future during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday.
McAfee asked Rodgers about several teams that have quarterback needs. Rodgers confirmed he has spoken with the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers but did not say whether he has had talks with the Saints.
Rodgers has 20 years of starting experience and won Super Bowl XLV, but the Saints would have to be willing to work around both his schedule and salary.
If New Orleans were to bring in Rodgers, it would have to be willing to pay both him and Carr in 2025. While the Saints have the cap space to do it, they might not want to invest significant capital in two quarterbacks who might not be long-term options.
Rodgers said he has told teams he will play for $10 million and hasn’t made a long-term deal a requirement.
Rodgers, who was released by the New York Jets in the offseason, started all 17 games there last season after missing most of the 2023 season with a left Achilles injury. Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns and had 11 interceptions in a 5-12 season.
Tyler Huntley
Huntley, 27, started five games for the Miami Dolphins last year when starter Tua Tagovailoa missed six games due to concussions. Huntley, who was initially the third-string quarterback behind Skylar Thompson, went 2-3 in those games and passed for 829 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
The five-year veteran spent the first four seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens and has an overall record of 5-9 as a starter.
Teddy Bridgewater
Bridgewater, 32, retired after the 2023 season but recently came out of retirement to sign with the Detroit Lions for their playoff run last season. It’s unclear whether Bridgewater wants to play in 2024 or if he would go anywhere but Detroit, but he has prior experience in New Orleans, having played there as a backup in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Bridgewater started five games for the Saints in 2019 and went 5-0 in those starts. His last extensive starting experience was with the Denver Broncos in 2021, when he started 14 games and went 7-7 in those starts.
Carson Wentz
Wentz, 32, spent the past season with the Kansas City Chiefs as a backup and hasn’t been a primary starter since his 2021 season with the Indianapolis Colts. Wentz’s best season was in 2017, when he went 11-2 as a starter with the Philadelphia Eagles and threw 33 touchdowns before tearing his ACL, opening the door for backup Nick Foles to win a Super Bowl that season.
Draft options
Shedeur Sanders
There have been a lot of eyes on the possibility of Sanders going to the Saints, with Cam Ward assumed to be the first quarterback off the board.
Sanders, 23, is coming off a 2024 season in which he set Colorado single-season records of 4,134 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns and 41 total touchdowns.
Sanders has been coached by his father, Hall of Fame player Deion Sanders, at both Jackson State and Colorado, where they both spent the past two seasons.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently downplayed the idea and said he doesn’t believe the Saints are taking Sanders.
“It certainly feels like his range … is three to 21, and I don’t like the chances of him going nine.”@AdamSchefter on where Shedeur Sanders could land in the NFL draft 👀 pic.twitter.com/dOso3aIlhT
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 17, 2025
Jaxson Dart
Dart began his career at USC and played the past three seasons at Mississippi, completing 69.3% of his passes for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 2024. Dart, who is 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, will turn 22 in May.
Dart, along with Tyler Shough and Jalen Milroe, competed at the Senior Bowl, where Saints assistants Jahri Evans and Joel Thomas both coached this year. The Saints have drafted several players who played in the Senior Bowl in recent years, including both Rattler and Haener.
Tyler Shough
Shough, 25, played for three college teams over seven seasons, including Oregon and Texas Tech. He played his final season for Louisville, where he completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
Shough, who is 6-5 and 219 pounds, played in 12 games last season, finishing with an 8-4 record as a starter in 2024.
