Saints GM Hints Derek Carr Will Return as QB1 in 2025: 'A Guy We Can Win With'

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis expressed his confidence in starting quarterback Derek Carr moving forward while speaking with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday, per Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune and The Advocate.

Carr is entering the third season of a four-year, $150 million contract. In 10 games last season, the 11-year veteran completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Last season, Carr missed three games with an oblique injury before returning in Week 9. He later suffered a hand fracture and a concussion against the New York Giants in Week 14 and ended up missing the rest of the season (four games).

With Carr at the helm, the 2023 Saints were ninth in scoring and went 9-8, missing the playoffs after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a tiebreaker for the NFC South title.

The wheels fell off the team in 2024, as a 2-0 start led to a seven-game losing streak and an eventual 5-12 finish. For the season, Carr finished 10th in quarterback rating and 13th in QBR among qualified passers, per Pro Football Reference.

The Saints organization has a host of issues on its hands, especially after a 5-12 season. Per Over the Cap, New Orleans sits $47.2 million over the 2025 salary cap. Obviously, it'll be hard to improve the roster given its current salary cap constraints, although the team does have six incoming draft picks, including ninth overall.

Carr has statistically fared well as the team's quarterback, although wins haven't been consistent. The team has gone 14-13 in his starts, but the Saints have also encountered far more serious concerns, namely a defense that was the culprit toward the team allowing over 30 points per game over six contests from Weeks 4-9.

At any rate, Carr is the clear QB1 for New Orleans in 2025, and the Saints hope new head coach Kellen Moore, the ex-offensive coordinator of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, could help ignite an offense that finished 24th in scoring last year.