Derek Carr is retired and the New Orleans Saints are staring down a youth movement at the game's most important position.
Head coach Kellen Moore has made it clear that there will be a competition between rookie Tyler Shough, second-year QB Spencer Rattler and third-year QB Jake Haener, but WWL Radio's Mike Detillier isn't convinced there won't be another name in the mix when it's all said and done.
"This is a really young quarterback room. They’ve got to bring in a veteran quarterback somewhere along the lines here," Detillier said. "You can’t go into the season with Tyler Shough, a second-year Spencer Rattler, a third-year Jake Haener. You know, Rattle has had some experience, Haener a little bit of experience, but you can’t go into the season not having a guy who has sort of walked down the football aisle before."
Hear the full breakdown from Mike Detillier, Voice of the Saints Mike Hoss and the full Kellen Moore press conference on our special, Saturday edition of SportsTalk in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
The retirement news came as a bit of a bombshell Saturday morning, ahead of the team's second practice at its rookie minicamp, where the No. 40 overall pick, Shough, was set to practice in front of media cameras for the first time. It brought to an end a long-running and oftentimes uncomfortable saga between Carr and the Saints that took an abrupt turn when news of a shoulder injury emerged in the buildup to the draft. The team revealed that the injury was a labrum tear as well as degenerative issues in Carr's rotator cuff.
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Carr opted to retire rather than have the surgery, with the team likely to recoup $30 million that had been guaranteed after a contract restructure earlier in the offseason. The means some level of cap relief for the team if they chose to go out and find a veteran player to add to the QB room, but options are limited.
"It does give you some money to go out and maybe get one," Detillier continued. "I would be a little surprised if they spent a ton of money on a veteran quarterback knowing that you just spent an early second-round pick on Tyler Shough.”
The highest profile name available would be Aaron Rodgers, who is yet to sign with a team after being cut unceremoniously by the Jets and could still opt to retire in his own right. Other potential names include Carson Wentz, Teddy Bridgewater and CJ Beathard, but none of those names would likely contend for the starting job.
The most likely scenario for the Saints is that either Shough or Rattler, who started six games last season, wins the job out of camp. However that goes, it'll be the start of a new QB era in New Orleans, Carr's decision has ensured that.
“When they drafted Tyler Shough in Round 2 I made the comment, hey, this is Kellen Moore’s really first major decision as a head coach and we’re gonna see him a lot sooner than later," Detillier said. "Well, it’s gonna be much sooner."