Derek Carr retires: Who will start now? What's his legacy?

With Derek Carr announcing his retirement Saturday, the New Orleans Saints got the clarity they had been waiting for. But it's a effect that leaves an instant void astatine the backmost position.

Medical scans determined that Carr, 34, had sustained a labral teardrop and besides had important degenerative changes to his rotator cuff, truthful playing successful 2025 was successful jeopardy. It's the closure New Orleans has been looking for since April 11, erstwhile the quality of Carr's wounded archetypal broke. Now that Carr has made his presumption official, what's near for the Saints?

They drafted Tyler Shough past period in the 2nd round and person second-year backmost Spencer Rattler and third-year backmost Jake Haener connected the roster, but New Orleans went 0-7 past play successful games wherever Carr didn't start. Do the Saints bring successful much help? Do they rotation with who they have?

NFL Nation newsman Katherine Terrell and nationalist writer Jeremy Fowler tackle the biggest questions surrounding the domino effect of Carr's retirement.

What does this timing mean for the Saints?

The Saints were already bracing for the anticipation of playing without Carr -- present it's a certainty. Carr's status was made authoritative during the team's rookie minicamp, which is the team's archetypal extended look astatine Shough. Now they'll beryllium capable to instal their discourtesy with 1 of their young quarterbacks successful caput and region immoderate contention astir Carr's determination aboriginal successful the offseason.

This could person been a distraction if things had dragged connected into grooming camp, but present it's fundamentally a cleanable slate for the coaching unit and the young quarterbacks. Shough, Rattler and Haener volition present divided the backmost reps erstwhile OTAs statesman aboriginal successful the month. If the Saints elite to marque Shough the starter this season, they could marque a determination aboriginal and without Carr's imaginable shadiness looming implicit him.

This besides makes their 2026 plans easier. Since Carr chose to discontinue alternatively of going connected injured reserve, they won't person to determine his aboriginal erstwhile the 2026 offseason begins. That clears 1 task disconnected the 2026 checklist, which could beryllium lengthy with a fig of aging players connected the roster. -- Terrell

How volition the Saints proceed astatine quarterback? Could they bring successful different QB?

Coach Kellen Moore seemed noncommittal astir Carr arsenic a starter erstwhile helium had his archetypal quality league arsenic Saints caput manager successful February. While Moore backed Carr publically implicit the adjacent fewer months, it ever seemed apt that helium would privation to bring successful his ain guy, and that determination was sealed erstwhile they took Shough successful the 2nd round.

This Saints' unit tin present mold the country immoderate mode they want. Right now, it's a country that has 3 young quarterbacks -- they could take to bring successful a seasoned (they precocious released Ben DiNucci) to assistance mentor, oregon they could rotation with younker astatine the presumption and support things presumption quo. The Saints besides brought Hunter Dekkers successful arsenic a tryout subordinate for rookie minicamp -- different young backmost who could effort to contend for a signifier squad spot if the Saints similar what they see. --Terrell

What are the contract/salary headdress implications of the move?

Carr was owed to marque $40 cardinal this play -- $30 cardinal successful basal wage and a $10 cardinal roster bonus. The Saints restructured his declaration for wage headdress purposes, which brought his basal wage down to the league minimum and turned the remainder into a signing bonus of $28.75 million, to beryllium paid retired play during the season. According to his contract, that signing bonus was contingent connected "receiving aesculapian clearance to signifier and play." The declaration besides had contingencies to void the wealth if helium retired from the NFL. According to the status agreement, Carr volition forfeit the $30 cardinal basal wage but clasp the $10 cardinal signing bonus. If helium does not record status papers until June 1, past the Saints volition beryllium facing astir of the headdress implications successful 2026. -- Terrell

What is the likelihood Carr's status is permanent?

The radical I've talked to contiguous would beryllium beauteous amazed if helium tried to return. What became wide implicit the past fewer months is Carr's presumption arsenic a bonafide QB1 was successful question. Is he, arsenic of close now, inactive 1 of the 32 champion quarterbacks successful the league? Most certainly. But determination wasn't a clear-cut location for him this season, extracurricular of the Saints, and recovering from a superior enarthrosis wounded for a backmost that turned 34 successful March is an arduous task. He volition person made much than $200 cardinal for his vocation erstwhile accounting for his 2025 wage connected his mode retired of New Orleans. It conscionable feels similar a instrumentality would beryllium an uphill conflict -- though you can't discount a player's imaginable eagerness to effort a comeback if afloat healed. --Fowler

If helium doesn't instrumentality to the NFL, what is Carr's legacy?

Carr's vocation was underrated successful immoderate ways. He played for six antithetic caput coaches (two interim) and 5 antithetic playcallers during his 9 years with the Las Vegas Raiders, positive a caller coordinator successful each of his seasons with the Saints. Thriving contempt that turnover -- going connected to marque 4 Pro Bowls -- was an awesome feat. He was besides durable earlier his past twelvemonth successful New Orleans, playing 15 oregon much games successful each of his archetypal 10 NFL seasons. In his prime, helium was knocking connected the doorway of the apical 10 astatine his position. But helium was mostly considered a bully subordinate who couldn't get a squad implicit the hump and transportation it to glory. Carr mislaid his lone playoff appearance, an AFC wild-card crippled with the Raiders successful 2022. -- Fowler