Saints near Kellen Moore hire, future of QB Derek Carr in question

By Ross Jackson

As Super Bowl LIX approaches, assurances that Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will become the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints are falling into place. 

While the hire cannot become official until after the big game, roadblocks appear unlikely. Once it is official, barring anything unforeseen, the team will face a major question: Who will be the Saints’ quarterback?

The easy answer in the short-term is veteran passer Derek Carr. The former collegiate opponent of Moore has two years left on his deal, but the majority of his 2026 salary will not be guaranteed. Thirty million dollars of his 2025 base salary will become guaranteed if he remains on the roster by the third day of the new league year, March 14.

Restructuring Carr’s contract this offseason would help the Saints reduce their more than $50 million salary cap overage. However, it is not impossible for them to get compliant using other strategies. 

The most likely scenario seems to be the Saints pushing forward with Carr in 2025 and then deciding whether or not a change of course at the position next year is necessary. 

Moore was quick to compliment Carr during Super Bowl Opening Night. 

“Derek and I played against each other one year,” Moore said. “My senior year, his sophomore year. Yeah certainly, have known Derek for a long time. (I have) tons of respect for him as a quarterback in this league. He’s had a tremendous career and has done a lot of good things.”

Should Moore decide that Carr is not the mold of passer he would like to work with right away, he has several options. Young passer Spencer Rattler showed promise with an injured roster in 2024, the team could explore a depleted free agent pool at the position, check in on the trade market for a young but underdeveloped option, or could roll the dice in this year’s draft class. 

The options are plentiful. However, the talent outside of the facility may be limited. 

Going forward with Carr in 2025 would also be indicative of the team’s willingness to be patient, as Moore reorganizes and changes the roster. The process of flipping personnel to match his approach is likely to be a multi-year operation. If New Orleans plans to be patient with Moore, waiting until 2026 to find his quarterback could be the most direct path to success—unless that player is already in the building this year.