After dealing with a shoulder issue all offseason, Derek Carr has officially retired from the NFL. With the Saints quarterback room now consisting of a 25-year-old rookie, a former hotshot turned day three pick, and the most photogenic backup in the league, what does Derek Carr retiring do for the fantasy football targets in New Orleans?
Fantasy Football Impact of Derek Carr’s Surprise Retirement on the New Orleans Saints
The New Quarterback One – Tyler Shough
Tyler Shough was a surprise pick by the Saints at the top of the second round. Now, it makes a lot more sense. This was a sign they don’t have much faith left in Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener, and Shough has the inside track to start. For one-quarterback leagues, he’s likely off of fantasy football radars, but in Superflex leagues, he becomes a sneaky late addition with an underrated rushing ability and good receivers around him. Shough’s dynasty price just shot up.
Obligatory Aaron Rodgers Caveat
Aaron Rodgers is still floating around out there and hasn’t indicated what team he’ll be playing for in 2025. If he signs in New Orleans, he would be the starter, but at 41 years old, his health is far from a lock. Moreover, he’s indicated he wants to play for a competitive team. The Steelers might make a little more sense, but he can also wait until a projected playoff team has an injury to their starter and sign there. He’s in no rush, and the Saints opening shouldn’t be the one that draws him out of his darkness retreat.
A Deeper Look at Tyler Shough and Other 2025 Rookies (Podcast)
Chris Olave and Rasheed Shaheed 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
It’s not sunshine and rainbows for these two. Unless Aaron Rodgers decides to save the day, wide receivers tied to rookie quarterbacks have had a fairly rough go of things. This article is a deeper look at the fantasy football impact of rookie quarterbacks, but unless Shough sets rookie records, both of them will struggle to hit top-24 seasons in 2025. Once we pair that with each of their injuries, a new offensive coordinator, and the overall struggles of the Saints offense, it could be a rough season. Stock down.
Alvin Kamara 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
A rookie quarterback in a bad offense normally doesn’t sound like a recipe for success. But Shough targeted running backs about 20 percent of the time in 2024 at Louisville. Kamara’s going to continue to be a PPR machine and the safety blanket for the young rookie quarterback. It looks like it’s going to be another season of Kamara outperforming ADP, but no one is enjoying watching the games.
Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, and Everyone Else
The Saints tight end position hasn’t been one to target unless Taysom Hill was healthy, with tight end eligibility on your fantasy football platform. Johnson is likely the top option for the tight ends here, but he’s not the type of tight end to target in 2025. All can be safely left on waivers until signs of life arrive.
Main Photo Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
