The New Orleans Saints are facing a sudden void at quarterback following Derek Carr’s unexpected retirement — a development that could prompt a trade with the Cleveland Browns, who have a surplus of veteran signal-callers.
Carr opted to retire after a significant shoulder injury that was slated to sideline him for all of next season. He announced the decision as part of a statement from the team.
“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” said Carr, who is 34 years old. “For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”
That leaves rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener as the quarterbacks on the Saints’ depth chart.
Browns QB Kenny Pickett Prime Target for Saints
Getty ImagesCleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett spent last season with the Eagles with Saints head coach Kellen Moore as his offensive coordinator.
The Browns are dealing with a different kind of quarterback situation. Cleveland drafted both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who joined veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco in Cleveland’s quarterback room.
With no veteran quarterback currently on the roster, the Saints could find Flacco or Pickett to be intriguing trade targets. As Damon Wolfe of Dawgs By Nature noted, new Saints head coach Kellen Moore has a recent connection to Pickett, having worked with him last season during his stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Kellen Moore, the Saints’ new head coach, may want to add a veteran presence to the QB room. The Browns have a crowded situation at the position after drafting Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders,” Wolfe said. “Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett becoming available at some point before the season is a real possibility, as it will be unlikely that Cleveland would keep all four on the initial 53-man roster. Connecting Pickett to the Saints would also make sense, as he played for Moore last season in Philadelphia.”
Browns Didn’t Plan to Draft Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel
The Browns didn’t enter the draft planning to select two quarterbacks, but when Sanders unexpectedly slipped from a projected early first-round pick to the fifth, Cleveland jumped at the chance to add him.
“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said after the draft. “But as we talk about, we do believe in best player available, we do believe in positional value, and we didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round. We love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with the guys that are already in there. We felt like that was the appropriate thing to do.”
Sanders and Gabriel got their first taste of action with the Browns over the weekend during rookie minicamp. They’re expected to join Flacco and Pickett next week for offseason workouts.
