Saints Might Regret Shedeur Sanders Decision After Derek Carr Retirement

Should the Saints have drafted Shedeur Sanders?

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) heads on to the field during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints have one of the worst quarterback groups in the entire NFL and it got a bit worse earlier this month. Franchise quarterback Derek Carr entered retirement due to a shoulder injury suffered last season.

This loss of Carr has left the Saints with a quarterback room of 2025 second round pick Tyler Shough, Jake Haener, and Spencer Rattler. At this point, do the Saints regret their decision to pass on Shedeur Sanders multiple times in the 2025 NFL Draft?

All 32 NFL teams made the decision to pass on Sanders. And then they made it again and again until Sanders was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. The Saints passed on him in the first round and second round before passing on him twice in the third round and twice in the fourth round. All in all, they had six chances to grab Sanders, yet they passed on him.

Now their quarterback room is one of the worst in the league.

The Browns drafted Sanders a few rounds after drafting Dillon Gabriel. This could create an intense battle between the two rookies for the face of the franchise.

The Saints could have done something similar with Shough and Sanders. It didn't make sense with Carr expected to return in 2026, but now that he's entered retirement, the decision to pass on Sanders looks worse.

But, the Saints might have crossed the Colorado product off their draft boards before the event started. If that was the case, they wouldn't have selected him at any point in the event, even if Carr was to retire.

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