Trade Bait or an Actual Injury? NFL Insider Reveals What’s Going on With Derek Carr

Derek Carr reportedly has a shoulder injury, but some sources around the league find the circumstances fishy. Since the Saints have hinted at the possibility of selecting a quarterback in the upcoming draft, some reporters like Dianna Russini believe this is Carr’s way of expressing his desire to leave.

Carr has a long history of injuries dating back to his days in Las Vegas. That’s why many were surprised when the Saints signed him to a massive four-year, $150 million contract in 2023. After a few injury-riddled seasons, the team has seemingly grown tired of him. They’ve reportedly been scouting quarterbacks extra hard ahead of the NFL Draft. Now, Carr has seemingly grown tired of the Saints, too.

Russini reported on Friday that Carr is dealing with a shoulder issue and could be in jeopardy of missing the entire 2025 season. The news came out of nowhere and flew over the heads of many. That’s why she joined Colin Cowherd to unpack and explain the situation in its entirety. 

“So, Friday, the news comes out that Derek Carr may miss the season,” she said. “And I have to tell you I immediately started getting text messages from around the league with, ‘Hey, this is fishy.’ Or I had one head coach say, ‘Trade bait.’”

Following this, Russini was super interested in finding out if Carr was truly injured. After some digging, she came to the conclusion that he is dealing with shoulder issues. After all, it’s not like Carr to fake an injury. Yet, Russini thinks that the situation is “peculiar,” and so does the team.

Carr Out As Saints QB?

If this is Carr’s way of telling the Saints that he wants out, then where do they go from here? Cowherd brought up the idea that he could have been told by the team that they’re drafting a quarterback in the upcoming draft. In which case, Carr might have felt disrespected.

“I don’t think he wants to be there anymore,” Russini said about Carr. “I think the Saints are committed to getting a quarterback in this draft.”

The possibility of Shedeur Sanders falling to them grows by the day. Still, it’s completely possible that the Saints could end up with a great quarterback prospect even if Shedeur doesn’t fall to them. Jaxson Dart had an excellent NFL Combine and raised his draft stock because of it. Jalen Milroe also looked a lot better than expected.

The Saints have options at quarterback right now, and it all revolves around what goes down on D-Day. If they can grab Shedeur, Dart, or Milroe, then they’ll feel compelled to start them. But if it’s anyone outside of that, we may probably see Carr and the Saints patch their wounds ahead of the season.