Slater reports that Carr believes he injured his throwing shoulder in the same Week 14 game against the Giants that he injured his left wrist last season. The shoulder issue was apparently discovered as he ramped up throwing in the spring, not as the season wound down in 2024. Carr has already had surgery on that arm and wants to see if he can play through the injury. Slater adds that Carr made two trips to New Orleans to meet with the team doctor and a decision will be made “sooner rather than later” as the 34-year-old tries to make the best decision for his shoulder and the Saints aim to make the best decision for their franchise. It would be a surprise to see Carr return to start for the Saints, especially without having surgery. New Orleans has signaled an attempt to move on by selecting Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Carr has two seasons left on his four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints and a decision on his future is looming.

“I would have trouble understanding why you would allow that to happen, you’re trying to build a new culture, you can’t let that guy ... you just got a rookie QB, this is the example you’re going to give him,” Underhill continued. Both Underhill and Mike Triplett believe Tyler Shough will be starting for the Saints in Week 1, with Underhill saying he had “80 percent or higher odds to start 80 percent of the games this year.” Shough would be an uninspiring superflex pick, perhaps a QB3, but given how things have played out with Carr over the past months it sure doesn’t seem like the Saints have a reason to want to continue this relationship. Mickey Loomis literally asked reporters to stop asking him Carr questions at his pre-draft press conference.

It’s not where we’d expect to hear Carr dive into his injury status, but speaking at a church in Las Vegas over the weekend, Carr said he and the team has been “in constant communication” regarding his injury, and downplayed any reports that suggested otherwise. There have been wide spread discussions about Carr’s injury at this point, which Underdog’s James Palmer said the team had been aware of since it first occurred. Others have speculated that Carr is attempting to use the injury as a way to force his way out of New Orleans. It’s safe to say this won’t be the last time we talk about Carr’s shoulder, but the Saints selection of Tyler Shough in the second round shows they are clearly planning for a future without him — whether in 2025 or later.

Loomis initially said there will be a quarterback situation between Carr and second-round selection Tyler Shough, only to declare Carr as the starter if he’s still healthy. At least they know what they’re doing. Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that was made public a few weeks ago, and there’s been speculation that the injury could carry over into the start of the 2025 season. It’s also been suggested that Carr is using the injury as a way to force himself out of New Orleans. Carr signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints during the 2023 offseason and has thrown for 6,023-40-13 in 27 games with the team. Loomis’ comments were made shortly after the conclusion of the NFL Draft. It goes without saying that there’s a lot to figure out here, but it wouldn’t be surprising if we later learn Carr isn’t being handed the keys to the starting job if healthy.