Longtime Aaron Rodgers Teammate Explains Why the QB Would Be the Perfect Fit for the New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr had hinted that this might happen sooner than expected, and he made it official last week by announcing his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons. Carr had only been with the New Orleans Saints for two years, but in a 5-12 season last year, he was the only QB to win games despite missing seven due to injury. But fret not, because the Saints were ready for this… right?

Well, no. They drafted Tyler Shough in the second round, even though it seemed no other teams were interested in the rookie, who will turn 26 in September. (Yikes.) Even at that age, he doesn’t have much experience, with only 32 career starts, and just one full season as a starter at Louisville in 2024. Needless to say, New Orleans needs help at a position where there aren’t many options available.

Enter Aaron Rodgers. While he’s still contemplating his future on a beach in Malibu, his phone might be lighting up with missed calls from Mike Tomlin, all while his earphones play Dark Side of the Moon. However, as former teammate and current FS1 analyst James Jones insisted, Rodgers would “be the best quarterback” instantly upon entering the Saints facility.

“Absolutely! The call should’ve been made right after Derek Carr said, ‘Hey man, I ain’t feeling this shoulder, it’s time for me to be with my wife and kids.’ They should’ve been calling Aaron Rodgers,” said the former wide receiver when asked if New Orleans should consider his old QB teammate.

“If Aaron Rodgers walked into the New Orleans building right now, he’d be the best quarterback in the division. You give yourself a chance to win,” Jones added.

Jones played with Rodgers for eight of his nine years in the pros. He caught 45 TDs from Rodgers, which is fourth-most for the QB (Davante Adams, 82, Jordy Nelson, 70, Randall Cobb, 50). His 14 receiving TDs in 2012 actually led the league as well. We say all that to say that this guy knows who he’s talking about. He’s specifically qualified to speak on how Rodgers would fit in the Bayou.

Jones also noted that if you look on paper, the Saints actually have a really impressive cache of weapons waiting for Rodgers. And playing in the NFC South, that could be enough for a division title in 2025.

“You have Chris Olave, you have Brandin Cooks, you have Alvin Kamara, you have Rashid Shaheed. You have ballers on the offensive side of the football. Give yourself a chance to go. Win. Right. Now. I’m telling you… right now. And I don’t know what any of these quarterbacks are gonna be, but I do know the quarterbacks that played, they have not won a game. They have not won a game!”

The fact that they have a lot of intriguing skill players is exciting, but how excited are those players themselves right now? As Jones put it, they must be asking their coaches, “What’s the plan?” Shough seems like a project, and a lot of these guys are at win-now stages of their careers.

“If I’m on that offense and I’m Alvin Kamara, number one, the box is gonna be loaded, number two, if I’m Chris Olave, if I’m Brandin Cooks—what are we doing?… What’s the plan? Because if you look at this quarterback room you can’t tell me as a coach like, hey this is our plan… Let the young boy learn that was drafted in the second round. But they absolutely should make the call to Aaron Rodgers.”

At this point, the Saints only have to compete with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Rodgers’ hand in marriage. All the other suitors have moved on, likely to their benefit.

But the Saints could arguably present Rodgers with an easier road to success in 2025 than the Steelers. They have a deeper and more talented set of skill-position players. Maybe more importantly, they also play in a division that you could easily win with eight or nine victories. And they play in a dome.

If he hasn’t already made the call, longtime Saints GM Mickey Loomis better get on it before it’s too late and Rodgers’ defenses are finally worn down by the relentless charisma of Mike Tomlin.