​The New Orleans Saints have been in the middle of a flurry of rumors and storylines this offseason. The club is no longer presumed to be the league’s bottom-feeder, which means observers around the NFL are watching their every move more closely than ever. One topic the Saints seemed positioned to dodge was the quarterback conversation, but that deterrent never fully materialized. Last season, the quarterback position dominated Saints headlines. Derek Carr appeared likely to be the Week 1 starter, yet with the arrival of newly hired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Carr’s uneven performance in New Orleans, a future without the veteran as the top option began to emerge. Carr has often felt like an outsider to the fan base in New Orleans, and if the on-field product didn’t justify his presence, there was little reason to keep him in the starting role, especially in a rebuilding scenario.
Even with his contract binding him to the job, Carr’s grip on the starting spot loosened when a quarterback retired. The Saints had, thankfully, focused on the 2025 draft well in advance and settled on Tyler Shough as a potential long-term answer. Once Carr exited the picture, the competition shifted to Shough and Spencer Rattler, with Rattler initially taking the lead. Rattler opened the season on a strong note, but a change was deemed necessary, and Shough was named the starter. The decision paid immediate dividends. Shough delivered several standout performances and sparked a marked uplift in the Saints’ offense, helping the team win more consistently and look like a more complete unit. Given that progress, fans and analysts could reasonably believe the Saints had found their franchise quarterback. The confidence in Shough suggested this offseason should have been quiet on the quarterback front for New Orleans.
Yet the Carr chapter lingered. Even as teams across the league searched for capable signal-callers, Carr’s decision to come out of retirement and explore opportunities with a new franchise became a major talking point. His options expanded briefly but quickly narrowed, and the former Saints quarterback again found himself back in the NFL chatter. In recent discussions with Good Morning Football, Carr admitted that he would consider returning to the league if a compelling opportunity presented itself.
So, is a comeback likely? Probably not. It’s hard to envision Carr returning to a rebuilding team where a long-term project is required, but if a playoff-contending club offered him a chance to start for at least one season, he would likely be inclined to consider it. However, for teams needing a quarterback for a full year or longer, the fit may still be imperfect. The ongoing rumor mill surrounding Carr illustrates how fragile the quarterback market can be, even for a veteran who has already proven he can perform at the NFL level. The Saints, meanwhile, can point to Shough’s emergence as a source of optimism about the future, and the broader narrative around Carr’s status continues to provide compelling talking points for fans and media alike.
As the offseason unfolds, the discussion around Carr’s future, the Saints’ quarterback plan, and the potential for Shough to grow into a franchise cornerstone will remain central to the team’s storyline. With the Saints showing clear progress at the position and Carr’s name continuing to surface in hypothetical scenarios, the league will keep a close eye on how New Orleans navigates this delicate balance between sustaining development and exploring new quarterback options in the years to come.