When healthy, Derek Carr has looked the part of an above-average starting quarterback. The biggest problem is that the New Orleans Saints haven’t been able to consistently count on their QB this season. He’s already missed three starts, and on Sunday, he’ll be in danger of missing his fourth.
The Saints have lost all three games that Carr wasn’t available for, which put a damper on their strong 2-0 start to the season. Heck, even Dennis Allen got fired after the Saints lost seven games in a row. Future New Orleans head coaches might not want to risk the same fate for themselves.
Yet, Carr is under contract for two more seasons, and moving on during this offseason would result in a $50 million dead cap charge. That’s not ideal for a team that’s annually been in salary cap hell, even before Sean Payton left town in 2022.
As the Saints play out the string of their season, some fans in New Orleans are eager to learn more about their team’s future quarterback plans and whether Carr will be involved. At one point, the Saints seemed on track to earn a top-five pick, but Darren Rizzi winning three of his past four games has New Orleans on track to land the 11th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, lowering their chances of landing a franchise quarterback.
Again, this begs the question: What should the Saints do at QB in 2025? One NFL insider proposed an outside the box idea that will require a lot more patience.
Related: See where Derek Carr lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings
NFL insider believes New Orleans Saints should discard Derek Carr, draft Arch Manning in 2026
With Derek Carr playing relatively well, the New Orleans Saints could find a trade market for the four-time Pro Bowl QB. But even if a trade market doesn’t materialize for the QB with a $51.4 million cap hit in 2025, one NFL insider believes the Saints should cut bait on their veteran anyway so they can get a better draft pick and, in turn, land a true franchise leader, such as Arch Manning.
“Unless the Saints wind up with a premium pick and fall in love with Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, they should consider going all in on Arch Manning in 2026. The New Orleans native would be a godsend for the Saints. The problem there, though, is Manning might be the early favorite for the No. 1 pick in that draft, and they won’t finish with the worst record in the league with Carr at QB. This might be drastic and I don’t really expect to see it happen, but I’d consider taking a QB with a Friday pick, moving on from Carr, resetting the books by unloading other veterans who won’t be part of the long-term solution and looking to start anew with Manning in 2026. Call it a soft tank.”
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe on New Orleans Saints
While Manning would undoubtedly sell thousands of jerseys and boost ticket sales, like any prospect, he’s far from a sure thing. Heck, he might not even be as good as Derek Carr is. The Texas QB has looked good in short stints, but he hasn’t even started for a full season for the Longhorns, meaning he still has a lot to prove.