There have been some questions about the legitimacy of the shoulder injury that Derek Carr is dealing with this offseason, and the veteran quarterback felt the need to answer those over the weekend.
Earlier this month, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that Carr has a shoulder injury that has called his status for the 2025 season into question. The news surfaced just days before players were set to report for the Saints’ offseason program.
The following week, Dianna Russini of The Athletic said on her “Scoop City” podcast that the report about Carr’s shoulder injury was “fishy.” She noted that the information seemed to have come from Carr’s camp and wondered if the 34-year-old was trying to send a message to the Saints because he is unhappy with them.
Carr spoke at a ChurchLV sermon on Sunday. While discussing how he has dealt with “people lying about me,” Carr said his shoulder injury is very real.
“I hate that I have to say this, but I have to say this: Yes, I have a shoulder injury, despite what ESPN says and what some lady on a podcast might think,” Carr told those in attendance. “I have an MRI report to prove it. The team knows about it. We’ve been in constant communication. There’s nothing wrong. We’re figuring it out, and we’re gonna go forward with that? Is that okay?”
Carr was likely referring to Russini with his “lady on a podcast” remark.
Carr is entering the third year of a four-year, $150 million contract he signed with the Saints in 2023. He modified his contract in March to drop his cap hit for 2025 to $20.4 million. He has a $40 million base salary for 2026 with a $69 million cap hit for that season.
There has been a lot of talk that new Saints head coach Kellen Moore would like to move on from Carr. At the very least, the new regime is certainly thinking about the future at the position, as evidenced by their decision to draft a quarterback — albeit a surprising one — with the 40th overall pick on Friday.
The truth may lie somewhere in the middle. Carr might have a legitimate injury that he could play through, but he may not be inclined to do so if Moore and company are not committed to him.
Carr threw for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 10 games last season while dealing with a variety of injuries. He has been underwhelming in New Orleans, so it would hardly be a surprise if he were concerned about being phased out.
