The NFC South was shaken up on Saturday morning when reports surfaced that New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has decided to retire.
According to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, Carr’s shoulder injury has been deemed to require surgery that would have taken him out of action for six months. Instead of spending the entire 2025 season on injured reserve, the 34-year-old has decided to hang up his cleats.
The move affects the Atlanta Falcons as they try to return to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. But it could also be the opportunity they’ve been waiting for with the chance to screw over a rival.
Falcons Could Screw Over Saints With Surprise Kirk Cousins Trade
The Falcons' offseason program has begun, and Kirk Cousins remains part of the team. While many expected him to be traded or released multiple times during the offseason, general manager Terry Fontenot has held his ground, demanding something in return for the soon-to-be 37-year-old.
With Cousins owed $37.5 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons, finding a suitable deal has been a challenge. But Carr’s retirement may have opened the avenue Fontenot needed to find a trade partner.
The Saints didn’t act like they expected Carr to be ready for 2025, selecting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of last month’s draft. Spencer Rattler also enters his second year in New Orleans, but didn’t look like an NFL quarterback, leading the Saints to an 0-6 record in his six starts at the end of last season.
Shough has drawn plenty of praise and was considered to be a hot commodity on the second day of the NFL Draft according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. But at age 25 (and set to turn 26 in September), Shough kind of is what he is with limited room for upside.
Let’s say Rattler and Shough both struggle during training camp. The Saints could ride it out and hope to be bad enough to land Texas quarterback and New Orleans native Arch Manning in next year’s draft (and they’re currently projected by Tankathon to land the No. 2 overall pick). But general manager Mickey Loomis needs Kellen Moore to succeed after Dennis Allen flamed out after three seasons as head coach.
If things don’t go well, Loomis’s job security could be dwindling, which could cause a desperate chase for a new quarterback if his current options pan out. With the Saints currently $42.7 million over the cap in 2026, acquiring Cousins could require money down the road, which would also hinder New Orleans’s ability to put a complete team around him. Mix in a higher draft pick in a trade and the Falcons could get the upper hand as a team that traded its 2026 first-round pick in a deal for James Pearce Jr.
The idea of trading Cousins to the Saints doesn’t look appealing, and visions of Cousins dancing shirtless with a giant “WHO DAT” chain are enough for Falcons fans to dismiss the idea. But it’s the perfect storm that Fontenot has been waiting for to make a suitable deal if Shough and Rattle struggle to replace Carr.