Fantasy Football Fallout: Derek Carr Retires, Tyler Shough Arrives

Over the past two seasons, Derek Carr gave the Saints a 50/50 chance of winning games while grading well in completion rate (68.2) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (40:13). He signed a four-year $150 million contract before 2023. New Orleans paid him $60 million in 2023 and 2024, which included his signing bonus. By retiring, Carr forfeits the remainder of his contract while being able to keep his $10 million roster bonus received in March.

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Saints invested in Tyler Shough with the 40th overall pick (second round), which I view as a massive mistake by the franchise. He’ll turn 26 in late September, with a less-than-stellar college career consisting of a shoddy completion rate (61.6) over his last three seasons.

With the 40th pick in the Draft, the #Saints select:

Louisville QB Tyler Shough ⚜️#SaintsDraft | @CoxComm pic.twitter.com/Jw2kULScKS
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 25, 2025

When rebuilding a franchise, youth and talent at quarterback should be imperative when making draft day decisions. There are 12 NFL starting quarterbacks younger than Shough.

Drake Maye, NE (23)
C.J. Stroud, HOU (24)
Anthony Richardson, IND (23)
Trevor Lawrence, JAC (25)
Cam Ward, TEN (22)
Bo Nix, DEN (25)
Jayden Daniels, WAS (24)
Caleb Williams, CHI (23)
J.J. McCarthy, MIN (22)
Michael Penix, ATL (25)
Bryce Young, CAR (23)
Brock Purdy, SF (25)

When reviewing the NFL offenses for the 2025 season, I sensed Carr wouldn’t be the Saints' starting quarterback. As a result, I ranked New Orleans last in offense. Shough will be overmatched in his rookie season, and the combination of Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener won’t lift the passing game to a winnable area.

Alvin Kamara could be traded by midseason, and Chris Olave comes off concussion issues in 2024. The Aints are on a path to battle for the worst record in the NFL, bringing back memories of their 1980 season (1-15). Head coach Kellen Moore had a Super Bowl-winning season as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. The swamp is rising in New Orleans, and the Saints don’t have the oars to offset their imminent offensive demise.