The Carr era is nearing its end: So what is next?

Besides the still ongoing coaching search by the Saints, there are an abundance of problems in other areas of the team. The team is massively over the cap, a quickly aging roster with an average age of 26.7 and most importantly for a team in the NFL today, they are without a franchise quarterback. 

The idea that the Saints were without a franchise guy seemed solved back in the 2023 offseason when, after floating through quarterbacks like Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton for two seasons, the Saints went big in free agency and signed Derek Carr. 

Carr was the former franchise quarterback for the Raiders where, despite the many off-the-field issues for the franchise, he could play good football. After the Raiders cut him following the 2022 season, many had him as the 2nd highest rated free agent only behind Lamar Jackson.

The Saints front office decided to take a big swing, believing that the team as a whole was a quarterback away from contending. And swing big they did as the Saints signed Carr to a four year, $150 million contract. Of that $150 million, $100 million was guaranteed money to Carr.

It was a big gamble but many thought it would pay off, everyone looking forward to the Saints making the playoffs with Carr under center. 

The disappointment was plentiful throughout that season as the Saints barely made it through that 2023 season with a 9–8. Carr was the biggest disappointment, especially at the start of the season when he could not seem to click with the receivers or the play calling of offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. 

Carr would finish that season with 3,878 yards, throwing 25 touchdowns to eight interceptions with a fairly impressive 68.4% completion percentage. Why the numbers do not look bad, the play on the field was.

A stat to help this deals with his pressure rating. Thanks to advanced statistics we can see how often a quarterback is pressured, and what kind of pressure it is. Carr was only pressured on 15.3% of his 548 dropbacks, taking 31 sacks in the process. 

For reference on how good it is to only be pressured on 15.3% of your dropbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff, both of whom play behind good to great o-lines, were both pressured on 22% or more of their drop backs.

Carr was simply not comfortable, and it showed week after week. In order to accommodate this the Saints fired Carmichael, and over the offseason leading up to the 2024 season, hired Klint Kubiak to take over. 

The team also brought in extra offensive line help in the form of first round pick Taliese Fuaga, a tackle out of Oregon State.

The hope for the coming season was high, fans believing that the new offensive coordinator would unlock some extra gear the Saints offense had. Kubiak did not just find one extra gear, he found four.

The first two games of the 2024 season were magical for the Saints, as they beat the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys a combined 91–29. Hope was skyrocketing, hype was everywhere for the Saints. The fall from this height was long, and painful.

Starting with a narrow 15–12 loss to the Eagles, the Saints went on a seven game losing streak. Losing players to injury as they descended into the abyss of the season. Carr would be hurt during this stretch against the Chiefs. 

Carr would miss three games before returning against the Panthers. He would be injured again while playing the Giants, missing the rest of the 2024 season.

Carr’s stats were, as one could guess, not as good this season due to missing seven games. Carr finished the season with 2,145 passing yards, throwing 15 touchdowns to only five interceptions with a 67.7% completion percentage. 

The most impressive part of Carr’s play this year though, minus the incredible two game start, was his improved pocket awareness. Though Carr only played in 10 games, he only took eight sacks, a massive improvement from the 31 taken the season prior. 

Now though the question is what to do with Carr. Carr’s play has varied widely over the past two seasons and the coach that brought him here, Dennis Allen, is now the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. 

His situation will most likely not be sorted until after the Saints finally get a new head coach. The most likely candidate as of right now is Eagles offensive coordinator Kellan Moore, who the Saints have another interview lined up with following the Super Bowl.

Derek Carr’s time in New Orleans could be over now or following next season depending on what the new head coach and front office want to do, either way, it will be a massive hit to the Saints already disastrous cap situation. 

If Carr’s time is up the question is what do the Saints do with the most important position in the NFL? 

Hope is that this means the organization will finally start the much needed rebuild, and if that is the case then the team needs to simply try playing a young quarterback they already have on the roster.

Spencer Rattler was a fifth round pick in the 2024 draft. He was drafted out of South Carolina, though he began his college career in Oklahoma. There were some hopes for him during the offseason as he had flashed great talent at South Carolina, helping to turn the program around with head coach Shane Beamer. 

Despite the talent he had he was taken late due to a number of issues including concerns with his character. Due to his late round status, many expected him to be buried on the roster behind Carr and Jake Haener, a late pick from 2023. 

Rattler was thrust into the starting role unsuspectingly against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following Carr’s injury against the Chiefs. Rattler played well in his first half, but was completely rattled by the Bucs defense in the second half.

All season Rattler showed incredible flashes, including a potential game winning drive against the NFC Championship attendees, the Washington Commanders. Overall though he performed much like a late round pick is expected to play.

He was shaken by the speed of NFL defenses and, playing behind the mauled Saints offensive line, took 22 sacks in only seven games. 

In his seven games he threw for 1,317 yards and only four touchdowns to five interceptions, with a completion percentage of only 57%. It was not a great campaign for a rookie quarterback, especially when compared to his fellow rookie QBs taken in higher rounds.

Playing him could mean he develops into a quality franchise quarterback, or he captains a tank unseen by the Saints since the 80s and 90s. If that were to happen, the Saints could take a first round quarterback in the 2026 draft.

Though many would question if they ever would take a quarterback in the first round, as they have not drafted a first round quarterback since 1977 when they drafted Archie Manning out of Ole Miss. 

The Saints could also try drafting another quarterback in the 2025 draft, though the strength of the quarterback class is lacking compared to previous years. With the ninth overall pick they are too far back to take either Sheduer Sanders or Cam Ward, both projected to go early even though many scouts have them as mid-round talents. 

As it stands it is still a bit early to say exactly who the Saints could take a shot at right now. Currently, Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord are two of the best mid-round gyms in this class and either could develop well in the right situation. 

The verdict on the Carr era is still in the air, the final decision will not come until following the Super Bowl. Till then, the city of New Orleans can only await the decision.