Saints expected to start $10.8 million quarterback this season if Derek Carr can’t play

The Saints may not get another chance to witness Derek Carr take the reins of the offense, with the 34-year-old out with a shoulder injury. New Orleans likely will see what they have with their recent second-round NFL draft pick, Tyler Shough, though.

USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff reports that Shough “figures” to be the starter this season with Carr riding the pine.

“...the Saints are operating with a new coaching staff led by Kellen Moore and just drafted a quarterback in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, taking Tyler Shough out of Louisville,” Brinkerhoff wrote.

“Shough figures to be the starter next season if Carr is sidelined, but Moore could have options if Carr is healthy enough to play.”

Shough was one of the more questionable picks in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL draft, receiving similar levels of scrutiny to the Browns’ picking Dillon Gabriel in the third round before taking Shedeur Sanders in the fifth.

Derek Carr denies shoulder injury is ‘fake’ so he can not play for Saints

Carr, meanwhile, has been publicly defending his shoulder injury from critics who have accused the QB of faking it just to sit out and collect paychecks from the Saints organization. Carr called out ESPN by name and insisted random podcasters are running with the fake injury narrative.

“Yes, I have to say this,” Carr said. “I hate that I have to say this, but I have to say this. Yes, I have a shoulder injury, despite what ESPN says. And what some lady on a podcast might think, OK? I have an MRI report to prove it. The team knows about it. We’ve been in constant communication. There’s nothing wrong. We’re figuring it out, and we’re gonna go forward with that. Is that OK?

“And I’ve been dealing with this, and I’ve been dealing with people lying about me and I’ve been dealing with them saying this and this and that, and I’m like, ‘Lord, why do I have to continue to deal with this nonsense? Like, what is going on?’ And I said that to a preface with you never know what someone’s really going through.

“And so why do we continually try to attack people? And I would say attack people that are trying to do things maybe the right way. Why do we continually try — why do we always have to have an opinion? Why do we — Twitter and Instagram has ruined things for some people? Because now all these people think that they have voices that have to be heard, and so like some people’s voices don’t need to be heard right now. I’ve just got to be honest with you. Because not one of our opinions in here matters. Did you know that? The only opinion that matters is that text right there. It is the word of God. And everything must bow at that.”

Carr’s lashing out is a sign he probably has plenty of time before he ever suits up again in the NFL. If he ever does.