NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
Derek Carr has officially called it a career. Carr announced his retirement after a setback with his shoulder injury that would keep him out of the 2025 season. In doing so, he leaves the New Orleans Saints just shy of a full quarterback room. As it stood already, the Saints only had three quarterbacks to begin with, Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener officially. The team drafted Tyler Shough out of Oregon to potentially be their franchise quarterback. However, more often than not, rookies rushed into roles they’re not ready for, leading to struggles throughout their careers. People might be quick to point out that Aaron Rodgers is still out there, but is there another former QB that they could turn to?
Maybe a former Miami Dolphin and Tennessee Titan?
If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m talking about Ryan Tannehill. Save your collective groans, Saints’ fans, what have you got to lose? Let’s be honest, Aaron Rodgers would instantly improve your team, but he’s a guy who is going to want to start, he’s going to pressure the front office to bring in his type of guys, and he’s going to pressure coaches into doing things his way.
But here’s the problem. Like it or not, the Saints aren’t exactly a team that feels like they’re a quarterback away. You’d be spending a big budget to go out and get a guy who’s going to throw a live grenade into your clubhouse. Why would you want that if it doesn’t guarantee he’ll turn the team around, and you’ll be paying a premium price for it.
Should New Orleans be on the phone with Tannehill’s agent? Yes, he’s “retired,” but his name was floated around pre-draft with connections to the Minnesota Vikings, who weren’t sure about the recovery of J.J. McCarthy and wanted an insurance policy.
If he could be potentially swayed to play in Minnesota, who’s to say he couldn’t come in and play for New Orleans? Talk all the talk you want about Tannehill, his past, or his play style, but you have to ask yourself this: Is he worse than what you were getting out of Derek Carr? Tannehill is a professional; he’ll have input and veteran presence in the offense, and he’ll allow the Saints time to focus on the development of Tyler Shough without a premium price.
Aaron Rodgers might be on the wish list for the New Orleans Saints, but we’ve seen how that played out before. If they can sway Ryan Tannehill back to the field, they’ll do so without setting the franchise back the way Rodgers did with the New York Jets
