Saints Bold Prediction Would Replace Derek Carr With 23-Year-Old Phenom

Could this be on the table for the Saints?

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) drops back to pass against the New York Giants during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints already have a solid quarterback under contract for the 2025 season in Derek Carr.

He signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the Saints but there is a potential out in the contract this offseason. His cap hit is going to spike to over $51 million for the 2025 season and over $61 million for the 2026 season. Could a change be on the way?

The Saints have a lot of cap question marks to deal with and one way to alleviate things surely would be cutting ties with this contract. Carr is a four-time Pro Bowler who looked good when he was healthy in 2024, but only played in 10 games.

It's unclear what will happen this offseason, but NFL.com's Cynthia Frelund came up with an intriguing idea in here latest mock draft. The Saints have the No. 9 pick in the upcoming draft and she had the Saints selecting Colorado phenom Shedeur Sanders.

"The Saints' head coach vacancy throws a bit of a wrench into my model's pick for New Orleans, but Sanders would be an exceptional value at No. 9, no matter who lands the job," Frelund said. "My model is high on Sanders for his accuracy and very high on him for his playmaking skills on downs after he's been pressured. In that latter area, he ranks near the top among all QB prospects in my 10-season sample. If you use that metric as a proxy for toughness, and then consider his relatively small size for his position, it's even more impressive."

This certainly doesn't seem likely as there has been chatter about Sanders getting selected possibly as high as No. 1. If somehow he were to fall into New Orleans' lap at No. 9, that would be a good reason to bring him in, and move on from Carr. If something like this doesn't happen, it may make more sense to figure out a way to adjust Carr's contract.

More NFL: Could Saints Legend Return To New Orleans As Head Coach?