The New Orleans Saints are going through more than just a rebuild – the franchise from the city of jazz is facing very difficult times in several areas, especially at the quarterback position, following Derek Carr’s retirement at age 34 due to a right shoulder injury.
Before the last NFL Draft, it became known that Carr had a shoulder injury that cast doubt on his availability for the 2025 NFL season. From that moment on, the Saints were considered strong contenders to select the highly publicized quarterback from the Colorado Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders.
But surprisingly, Kellen Moore – the team’s new head coach – and the front office passed on Sanders and instead selected quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round. Just weeks after the Draft, Carr announced his retirement from the NFL, and now Shough might be the Week 1 starter.
Very few people believe in what Tyler Shough can do, but perhaps that’s part of the Saints’ plan – to have a disastrous year and become the top contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 Draft to select a major talent: Arch Manning, if he declares eligible.
Meanwhile, there are rumors that the Saints may trade Chris Olave – the team’s 2022 first-round pick – to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Adam Crowley of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. This move was heavily criticized by former NFL player and current analyst Shannon Sharpe.
Are the Saints tanking on purpose to get Arch Manning? What are they doing… what are the Saints doing? [Arch] can [declare for the 2026 NFL Draft]. He could. I’m not saying he will… the Mannings usually stay all four years. Both of his uncles [Peyton and Eli] did. His dad got injured and had to retire,” explained Shannon Sharpe
That’s the big risk the Saints may be taking – betting everything on Arch Manning, who might end up staying all four years in college like his uncles Peyton and Eli did. For the record, this will be Arch’s first year as the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns.
That’s why the Saints may suffer from the “curse” of passing on Shedeur Sanders. Without a doubt, after Derek Carr’s retirement, Sanders would have been the clear starting quarterback in New Orleans. But only time will tell if the Saints will end up regretting not drafting Deion Sanders’ son for many years to come.
