The New Orleans Saints were never going to be among the playoff favorites in 2025, but the odds of another lost season increased drastically on Friday with the news of Derek Carr's injury.
That might not be the worst thing in the long run, but it is the reality they now face with Derek Carr reportedly dealing with a shoulder injury that could require surgery, as the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert broke down on SportsTalk this week.
"I guess when it rains, it pours. ... This is terrible news," Hebert said.
Hear the full breakdown from Bobby Hebert in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
That's true at least so far as any outside hope of a bounce-back season is concerned after a 5-12 campaign. Carr missed 7 games due to oblique and wrist injuries, with the Saints going 0-7 in those contests. Six were started by Spencer Rattler, and another by Jake Haener, the two quarterbacks who would be next on the list should Carr be unable to play.
The injury news now hits the accelerator on the buzz around the Saints and the potential of drafting a quarterback in the upcoming draft. The Saints pick at No. 9, where popular options include Colorado's Shedeur Sanders or Ole Miss's Jaxson Dart.
"It’s all but for sure we’ve got to get a quarterback now, but you can’t reach," Hebert said. "You cannot go and make something out of nothing as far as, you know, how do you have the quarterbacks graded and are we gonna go with Spencer Rattler. What's the approach. It might be that almost you play out the season next year and unless you think you have the quarterback of the future and then I would think you’d bring some stability, though, still, with a veteran."
What would the Cajun Cannon do?
“I would give Spencer Rattler every opportunity and I would bring in a veteran. I wouldn’t necessarily reach for a quarterback with the No. 9 pick," he said. "Now, if you can work something out, you know, trade, that’s something Mickey Loomis and all to figure out. ... We have too many holes right now [to draft a QB at No. 9]. Look at the supporting cast. None of these quarterbacks are necessarily gonna make the players better around them."
If the Saints did go for a veteran, their options will be very limited. By far the best option available would be Aaron Rodgers, who had a disastrous tenure with the Jets the past two seasons and appears in line to join the Steelers.
"Aaron Rodgers would give us the best chance to win, kind of like Derek Carr. I’m not saying you’re gonna win something, I’m just saying how he can spin it and what he still has maybe left in the tank," Hebert said. "I know Aaron Rodgers is one of the greatest football throwers, passers all time in NFL history and I looked at the latter part of the season. He’s still making some throws that can hang with the youngsters, but that’d be a short-term thing."
Carr's status will be the story to watch the rest of the offseason for the Saints, though they'll be limited in terms of options if he can't play, having already restructured his contract.