Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders might drop out of the top five in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s getting harder to believe he’ll slip past the New Orleans Saints at No. 9. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Saints QB Derek Carr may not be ready for September due to a shoulder injury, creating a “major” question under center.
“The #Saints suddenly have a major QB question: Starter Derek Carr is now dealing with a shoulder injury that threatens his availability for this season, sources say,” Rapoport tweeted Friday. “Carr is weighing options, including the possibility of surgery.”
It’s not clear when Carr suffered the injury or the exact ailment. But clearly, it’s bad enough to have the team worried about the fall during the spring.
Already in the quarterback market thanks to Carr’s uncertain long-term future, the Saints could be even more inclined to target the position in the first round. They’ve been linked to Shedeur Sanders, who is expected to slip past the Cleveland Browns at No. 2 and New York Giants at No. 3, in many mock drafts. Barring trades, the Saints were viewed as the team in the way of the Steelers potentially landing Sanders at No. 21 overall. New Orleans and Pittsburgh were recently named the top-two favorites to draft him.
The Saints have few viable options on their roster to replace Carr. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener showed nothing to suggest confidence in them going forward. Rattler lost all six of his starts in 2024 and threw more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (four). Haener looked more composed but lost his lone start, failing to finish the game. The veteran market has dried up with even Joe Flacco and Drew Lock off the board. Unless, of course, the team pivots to Aaron Rodgers.
Under new head coach Kellen Moore, a former quarterback himself, the Saints could look to chart their future. That could mean taking Shedeur Sanders. And taking the Steelers’ presumed top quarterback option off the board, leaving them to consider Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, and the rest of the class.
