After watching his team select Tyler Shough in the second round, why Derek Carr is hesitant about getting surgery has been revealed.
When news broke that New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr was in danger of missing the entire 2025 season with a shoulder issue, it took the NFL world by storm.
Suddenly, the Saints were being linked to many of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft, with the team ultimately passing on Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders at pick No. 9 to make Tyler Shough their guy at pick No. 40, even if his exact role in 2025 remained very much up in the air.
Needless to say, there are more than a few questions about how things will shake out for the Saints this fall, but on Tuesday evening, NFL Network reporter Jane Slater dropped a massive New Orleans information dump that should make things a little bit clearer for fans off of Bourbon Street.
Few updates from the Insiders today on the Saints and the Derek Carr situation according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
1) Carr HAS been to New Orleans twice in recent weeks to meet with the team doctor at the facility
2) He believes he injured his throwing shoulder in the same game he injured his left wrist. (Saints Giants Wk 14)
3) Why are we just figuring this stuff out now? He didn’t start meaningfully throwing until this spring as he ramped up for off season work and that’s when he noticed it. Prior to that I’m told he only threw a bit in a walkthrough with a fake football to injured players and Alvin Kamara. He didn’t get a chance to come back and really push it because Saints got eliminated and were out of contention and they sat players.
4) Why not just get surgery? Sounds like he would rather not as he has already had surgery before on that arm but still navigating that decision.
5) The Saints are trying to decide what’s best for the team and Derek is still actively trying to make the best decision for his shoulder.
6) A decision either way will be made here sooner rather than later per same source.
Admittedly I know there are still a lot of questions here and not a lot of people are providing a lot of answers but that’s about as middle of the road as I could get as there is a lot of information and misinformation floating out there. So…we still wait
While there is a lot to unpack in Slater's reporting, the one major piece of news worth noting is point number four, that Carr has so far opted against surgery because he already had surgery on that arm, on an injury he initially suffered in 2023, no less. The later he has the surgery, the later he will be healthy enough to play, and if he opts against getting the surgery entirely, the timetable of his return could be even less clear, as he may not even return to the field at all if he has any sort of setback along the way.
In the end, it makes sense why the Saints were so laser-focused on getting a new quarterback in the building in the 2025 NFL Draft: Tyler Shough may be starting for the Saints in Week 1 if Derek Carr can't go.
Three Potential trade destinations for Derek Carr
The Saints are facing a question surrounding the future of Derek Carr. One possible option is shipping him off to another team.
The Derek Carr era is likely ending in New Orleans. He has a shoulder injury that may or may not lead to him missing the majority of next season. However, that may not stop teams from being interested in the four time pro bowler. Here are three teams who could be in the market for Carr.
