Back in Week 3 of the 2023 season, things were looking pretty sweet for the Saints. They were steamrolling the Packers, up 17-0, and Derek Carr was dealing in his first year with New Orleans. He’d just dropped a touchdown dime to Jimmy Graham—classic throwback vibes—and it felt like the Saints were about to cruise. But then, bam—Rashan Gary came screaming off the edge, crushed Carr into the turf, and just like that, the momentum vanished. Carr was out. Game flipped. Welcome to the NFL, Saints edition.
Fast forward to Week 14 of 2024, and Carr’s still catching hell. This time it was against the Giants. He tried to play hero ball, dove for a first down, and ended up with a fractured hand and a concussion. But wait—it gets messier. Now, deep into the offseason, word is he’s dealing with a shoulder issue too. And Carr thinks it all went down in that same chaotic game.
So yeah… hand busted, brain rattled, and possibly a torn-up shoulder—all from one leap. Talk about a rough landing. So now what? Well, if you’re thinking that Carr will go under the knife to recover his shoulder and bounce back in week 1—yeah, not exactly. Folks out there believe that Derek Carr would probably want to avoid surgery.
On Thursday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, where he talked about Carr’s situation with the Saints. “I believe Derek Carr would like to not have surgery,” Rapoport noted when McAfee asked about Carr’s situation. “I believe he would like to rehab, get this thing right? Get back on the field for week one, which, my understanding is, is still at least a possibility.” Translation?
“I believe Derek Carr would like to not have surgery..
I believe he would like to rehab and get back on the field for week one..
He’s doing what he can and we’ll see what happens” ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/QmmZKVV8fW
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 8, 2025
Well, all those trade rumors for Carr, considering the Saints were looking to draft a QB in the 2025 NFL draft, which they eventually did, were just… well, mere rumors. The reason? The NFL reporters and analysts alike believe that Carr would probably want to avoid surgery, given that he’s had surgery on his right arm before. To make it more obvious, the quarterback reportedly met with the Saints’ doctors twice recently.
And as per Rapoport, Carr is doing everything to return by week 1 of the 2025 season. “But there’s been no firm like he’s not having surgery,” Rapoport continued. “He’s good to go, or he is having surgery, and if he has surgery, it’s major, potentially not playing next season, like that’s what nobody wants. So I believe he is doing what he can now to try to get back on the field by week one, and we will see where it ends up.”
For the time being, it’s safe to say that Derek Carr is considering what’s best for his shoulder. On the flip side, the Saints are also trying to figure out what’s best for the team. After all, they’ve drafted a rookie QB.
The Saints got the right quarterback amid Derek Carr’s shoulder injury
Whether Derek Carr is considering surgery or not, one thing’s for sure: his return ahead of the 2025 season is still unclear. And maybe—just maybe—the 11-season veteran misses out on a few games of the next season, the New Orleans team will have a seasoned rookie quarterback to lead the offense. Yeah, a seasoned rookie quarterback—Tyler Shough.
Shough will soon turn 26 and is coming with 7 years of college football experience, having by in Oregon, Texas Tech, and Louisville. And on Thursday, the former receiver and ex-interim head coach of Louisville, Deion Branch, shed light on Shough, calling him an NFL quarterback who was in college. “I promise I want to be the person to quiet down all the grumblings that I’ve probably slightly heard about, ‘oh, we didn’t take the right quarterback.’ No, you took the right quarterback,” he said on the Up & Adams Show.
“Trust me, Tyler is an NFL quarterback that was in college… This kid he can make every throw in the book. I watched it. I saw it every day. As a former receiver, looking at this young man, practicing every day on the football field, studying every day off the football field. First guy in the building, last guy to leave the building. He’s a pro-ready quarterback. You guys selected the right guy.”
Shough’s first six seasons were a mix of promise and bad luck. He flashed talent at Oregon, then transferred to Texas Tech, where injuries kept wrecking his momentum—broken collarbone, missed time, even a broken fibula. Every time he got rolling, something sidelined him. Still, the upside was always there. Fast forward to 2024, and the guy transferred to the University of Louisville for one last shot.
In 12 starts, Shough had over 3,000 yards at a completion rate of 62.7 and racked up 23 touchdowns. There you go. After recording a 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds and a 10-yard split in 1.61 seconds in the NFL Scouting Combine, Shough was drafted by the Saints in the second round with the 40th overall pick. Now, given Derek Carr’s uncertainty for the 2025 season, it’s likely the Saints could start with Tyler Shough.
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