Could Saints join Steelers in Aaron Rodgers Sweepstakes?
As long and stressful as the saga has been, the Pittsburgh Steelers faithful took solace in the fact that they were essentially the only team in the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes. But with the news that New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is considering season-ending shoulder surgery, that may not be the case anymore.
New Orleans is in a similar position to Pittsburgh. As of two years ago, they felt they had a roster of a quality that justified spending money on a veteran quarterback. They still have Alvin Kamara in the backfield, and Chris Olave to throw to. The weapons are there, and if they pony up the money (or whatever is keeping Rodgers from inking with Pittsburgh), then they can certainly try to steal Rodgers’ services this season.
Last year, New Orleans disappointed with a 5-12 record, and finished last in the AFC South Division. Carr only managed to play 10 games, and rookie Spencer Rattler struggled the rest of the way, going 0-6 with three touchdowns and five interceptions. If New Orleans doesn’t want to waste another season, they’re going to be joining the Steelers in the quarterback market.
The Cleveland Browns took another veteran off the board today when they snagged Joe Flacco. That leaves Kirk Cousins as the only other established starter on the market, although that would necessitate a trade with the Atlanta Falcons to realize.
Poaching Rodgers isn’t even the only way that New Orleans can disrupt the Steelers’ quarterback plans. They hold the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and if they choose to go with a quarterback, that could set Pittsburgh another spot back on their big board. With such a shallow pool of quality quarterbacks in this years’ class, that move could be especially detrimental.
It remains to be seen if Carr will even opt into the surgery, or if the Saints will choose pursue Rodgers instead of Rattler, but in any scenario, this scenario is one of many reasons teams try to have a quarterback plan by April.