Saints get miserable QB update after Derek Carr's stunning retirement

Matthew Wadleigh

Saints get miserable QB update after Derek Carr's stunning retirement image

The New Orleans Saints will enter camp with a full-on quarterback battle. Derek Carr retired due to ongoing shoulder injuries, and now the Saints have Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler, or Tyler Shough at the QB position. 

Shough is a 25-year-old rookie who finished his college career with the Louisville Cardinals, and both Rattler and Haener have seen limited action in the NFL. 

However, the Saints QB room suffered a tough injury blow recently, this one to Haener, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reported. 

"Saints QB Jake Haener, part of a three-way competition to become the team’s starting quarterback, suffered an oblique strain at the end of Wednesday’s practice and now is expected to miss “a couple of weeks”, per league sources. Haener likely will miss the remainder of OTAs, but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp."

Haener was a fourth-round pick in 2023 after playing at Fresno State, the same school Derek Carr went to. He appeared in eight games in 2024, throwing just 18 completions for 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception. 

It already figured to be an uphill battle for Haener, and Colin Capece of Sporting News ranked Haener third on the Saints QB depth chart after Carr's retirement. 

The Saints QB options are even more limited for the time being, although Haener is expected to be there for training camp to compete for the job. 

And, no, Aaron Rodgers is almost certainly not coming to New Orleans, especially after recent reports. 

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Matthew Wadleigh

Matthew Wadleigh is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He was born and raised in Southern California and grew up a San Diego sports fan (yes, it’s tough, except for Aztecs hoops). Matthew went to Fresno State as a journalism major and got to see Davante Adams, Derek Carr, Paul George and Aaron Judge in person. Matthew has written for publications including ClutchPoints, Sportscasting, Fansided, Trojans Wire, UCLA Wire and Buffaloes Wire.