The New Orleans Saints enter the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday with some significant questions around veteran quarterback Derek Carr after reports emerged about a shoulder injury that could potentially impact his availability this coming season. But instead of providing clarity to the situation when speaking the media on Wednesday, Saints GM Mickey Loomis played things close to the vest.
With the No. 9 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Saints could very well find themselves in the market for a quarterback should there be any signs that Carr’s injury may hold him out for portions of, or potentially even the entire 2025 NFL season.
Unfortunately, Saints fans who were hoping for some kind of clarity on Carr’s injury would let down by Mickey Loomis’ press conference on Wednesday.
Loomis led by speaking about Carr’s injury, informing fans that he would “report back” on Carr’s status in the near future when the team had more clarity, Additionally, Loomis informed reporters that he would not be answering any further questions about Carr specifically.
“Look, I appreciate you all being here,” said Loomis. “I understand how you have a lot of questions about the draft. But first, I want to hopefully want to answer questions about Derek Carr. He does have an issue with his shoulder. We’re hoping to get some resolution and clarity on that in the near future. And when we do, I’ll report back to you. Otherwise, I don’t have anything more to state about Derek. But I am open to any pre-draft questions you might have.”
Reporters put Loomis to the test, asking a number of questions about Carr throughout the press conference. Unfortunately for them, Loomis truly didn’t have anything more to say about Carr, turning each reporter who asked a question about Carr down at every turn.
One would have to assume that Loomis and the Saints organization know more about Carr’s injury than is being let on. But considering the Saints have just hours before they have to make a decision with their No. 9 overall pick that can change the trajectory of their future, it is perhaps wise to keep the plans in house for the time being.
Ultimately, whatever the Saints decide to do on Thursday will truly show how serious Carr’s injury ultimately is. So regardless of what happens, monitoring the Saints activity throughout the draft should be one of the biggest storylines of the event.