Could Former $118 Million QB Solve Saints' Issue?

What are the Saints going to do?

Oct 30, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; General view of the New Orleans Saints logo as the midfield logo fleur-de-lis after the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Las Vegas Raiders at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The news of Derek Carr's shoulder injury came as a pretty big surprise to the National Football League world last week.

It has been shared that the New Orleans Saints knew about the issue, but there wasn't any chatter about it outside of that. When the news broke last week, it obviously triggered plenty of speculation about who could replace him if he's going to miss the entire 2025 season. It's unclear exactly how much time he will miss, but it has been reported that everything is on the table, including missing the whole year.

We'll see what happens. The Saints' current quarterback room features Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener so we likely will see at least one more move. The upcoming NFL Draft will be a way to add talent and there's been a handful of guys tied to the franchise.

But, what about a veteran option? There aren't too many still available as the first major wave of free agency has come and gone. There are still a few, though. Sports Illustrated's Tom Dierberger made a list of seven potential options to fill in for Carr and one they mentioned is former Pro Bowler Ryan Tannehill.

"Tannehill reportedly has spoken to the Minnesota Vikings about signing on for the 2025 season, so it appears he is interested in playing again after watching 2024 from his couch," Dierberger said. "The Saints signing Tannehill would give them a veteran option under center while also keeping the door open to select a potential franchise quarterback in the 2025 draft.

"In 2023—his last professional season—Tannehill threw four touchdowns and seven interceptions while notching a 78.5 passer rating in 10 games (eight starts). He owns a 91.2 passer rating over 11 years with the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans."

There was a time when Tannehill was very expensive -- he had a four-year, $118 million deal with the Tennessee Titans -- but also a pretty solid starter. From 2019 through 2022 he had a 36-19 record as a starter to go along with 89 touchdowns to 33 interceptions. He also had 20 rushing touchdowns over that stretch.

He didn't play in 2024, but at 36 years old could be a solid depth option for the 2025 campaign.

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