BREAKING: Saints to Trade For $4.2 Million Patriots QB as Derek Carr Replacement
The New Orleans Saints head into the 2025 NFL offseason with little reason for optimism. The season started with promise after their 9-8 finish in 2023, including back-to-back wins over the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. However, things quickly unraveled. Led by veteran quarterback Derek Carr, who carried a $37.5 million salary but was frequently unavailable, the Saints endured a seven-game losing streak that ultimately led to the firing of head coach Dennis Allen.
Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi stepped in as interim head coach, sparking a brief resurgence with consecutive wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns. But the momentum was short-lived. The Saints dropped five of their final six games, ending the season on a four-game skid.
Carr’s repeated injuries added to the team’s struggles. The 33-year-old, entering his 11th NFL season, was sidelined by an oblique strain, followed by a broken hand and a Week 14 concussion that effectively ended his season. He appeared in just 10 games, a career low. Rookie Spencer Rattler, a sixth-round pick in 2024, and Jake Haener, a 2023 fourth-rounder, filled in during Carr’s absences. Rattler, a former Oklahoma and South Carolina quarterback, took on most of the playing time but failed to secure a single victory.
Saints Ready for a Rebuild, Including at Quarterback
With the Saints searching for a new head coach, the franchise seems poised to embark on a full-scale rebuild, which likely means parting ways with quarterback Derek Carr. The team is currently $52.3 million over the NFL salary cap, but moving on from Carr and the remaining two years of his four-year, $150 million deal could provide some much-needed cap relief and flexibility to reshape the roster.
Simply releasing Carr before June 1 would leave the Saints burdened with over $50 million in dead money. However, a post-June 1 trade could significantly reduce that figure to around $11.5 million, offering a more manageable path forward. Still, this raises the critical question: who takes over at quarterback?
While Spencer Rattler might be an option, USA Today’s Saintswire recently speculated that New England Patriots backup quarterback Joe Milton III could be a potential trade target for New Orleans.
“Making this move would be just about getting better a year from now,” wrote Saintswire columnist Dylan Sanders. “Milton is as raw as they come, but he’s a more exciting passer than the Saints have had since Drew Brees. The 24-year-old played sparingly as a rookie, appearing in one game, but he impressed. In a win over the Buffalo Bills, he completed 75.9% of his passes, threw for a touchdown, and avoided interceptions.”
Milton Has a Cannon For an Arm
Joe Milton III has demonstrated elite arm strength, famously launching an 80-yard pass at Peyton Manning’s Passing Academy. When he started against the Buffalo Bills on January 5, Milton showcased his cannon-like arm by sidearming a pass into the end zone at 62 mph, the second-fastest throw ever recorded in the NFL.
During his final season at Tennessee, Milton completed 64.7% of his passes for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns, adding seven rushing scores. Though he opted out of the Volunteers’ Citrus Bowl appearance, Milton was named MVP of the 2022 Orange Bowl, where he led Tennessee to a 31-14 win over Clemson with a 251-yard, three-touchdown performance. Standing at 6’5″ and 247 pounds, Milton offers a unique combination of size, athleticism, and arm talent.
Given Derek Carr’s refusal to take a pay cut and the financial strain of his contract, football analyst Anthony Palacios from Last Word on Sports argues that moving on from Carr could open the door for Milton. “Rattler had his chance, but if Carr doesn’t produce, they could run Rattler and Milton for the starting job next,” Palacios noted.
For the cap-strapped Saints, acquiring Milton could be a smart move. With three years left on his four-year, $4.2 million rookie contract, Milton would provide a cost-controlled option at quarterback. Pairing him with Spencer Rattler would give New Orleans two young, affordable signal-callers, enabling them to allocate resources to other areas as they rebuild the roster.