On the back of a Derek Carr touchdown pass, the New Orleans Saints led the Philadelphia Eagles 12-7 with 2:03 to go in a tight Week 3 contest at Caesars Superdome. The Saints were 2-0 at the time after a 47-10 trouncing of the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 and a 44-19 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys.
Oh, how things change.
Jalen Hurts would hit Dallas Goedert for a 61-yard pass on an ensuing drive that would be capped off with a four-yard Saquon Barkley touchdown run. An interception by Carr would seal a 15-12 win for the Eagles. The Saints dropped two more games after the loss to Philadelphia.
Carr suffered an oblique injury in the Saints’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. With Carr expected to miss multiple weeks, New Orleans is turning to rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler to start in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The New Orleans Saints could make Spencer Rattler QB1
NFL insider Ari Meriov of the 33rd Team thinks the writing could be on the wall for Carr in New Orleans if Rattler plays well.
Could Derek Carr be on the trade block?
Carr is an expensive backup to have on the Saints roster. Carr is the reason Davante Adams is in play for the Saints, but if the Las Vegas Raiders’ disgruntled receiver stays with his team or is traded to anywhere other than New Orleans, it might make sense for the 33-year-old quarterback to be placed on the market before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
Carr is under contract with the Saints through the 2026 season, but he won’t stay in the Big Easy if Rattler becomes the permanent starter.
There aren’t many logical trade partners at this point in the season. One of the more quarterback-needy teams, the Raiders, likely wouldn’t trade for a player they cut before the 2023 free agency period.
The number of options for Carr should increase over the next month as injuries pile up before the trade deadline. That is if the Saints decide to make Rattler QB1.
