The New Orleans Saints are encountering an abrupt gap at quarterback due to Derek Carr’s surprising retirement — a situation that might lead to a trade with the Cleveland Browns, who possess an abundance of experienced quarterbacks.
Carr chose to retire following a major shoulder injury that was expected to keep him out for the entirety of the next season. He revealed the choice in a statement issued by the team.
“After contemplating prayer and having a conversation with Heather, I’ve chosen to retire from the National Football League,” stated Carr, who is 34. “For over 11 years, we have been truly fortunate, and we remain eternally thankful and humbled by this journey.” Finding the appropriate words to convey our gratitude to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials, and particularly the fans who made this journey so memorable is challenging. Your steadfast support has meant everything to us.
This leaves rookie second-round selection Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener as the quarterbacks listed on the Saints’ depth chart.
Browns QB Kenny Pickett Main Focus for Saints
The Browns are facing a unique type of quarterback scenario. Cleveland selected both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who joined experienced players Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco in the quarterback room in Cleveland.
Since there is no experienced quarterback on the roster, the Saints might consider Flacco or Pickett as appealing trade options. Damon Wolfe of Dawgs By Nature pointed out that new Saints head coach Kellen Moore has a current link to Pickett, having collaborated with him last season while he was with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Kellen Moore, the new head coach of the Saints, might look to incorporate a seasoned player into the QB room.” “The Browns find themselves in a crowded scenario at that position after selecting Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders,” Wolfe stated. “The possibility of Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett being available before the season starts is quite real, since it’s improbable that Cleveland will retain all four on their initial 53-man roster.” Linking Pickett to the Saints would also be logical, given that he was under Moore’s coaching last year in Philadelphia.
Browns Had No Intent to Select Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel
The Browns didn’t go into the draft intending to choose two quarterbacks, but when Sanders unexpectedly fell from a predicted early first-round selection to the fifth, Cleveland seized the opportunity to acquire him.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry remarked after the draft, “We didn’t think the plan for the weekend included choosing two quarterbacks.” “However, as we discuss, we truly believe in the best player available concept, we acknowledge positional value, and we didn’t actually expect him to still be on the board in the fifth round.” We enjoy introducing competition into every position group and bringing him in to compete with the players already present. We believed that it was the right thing to do.
Over the weekend, Sanders and Gabriel experienced their initial action with the Browns at rookie minicamp. They are anticipated to participate with Flacco and Pickett next week in offseason training sessions.