The New Orleans Saints have had a nightmare 2024 calendar year and should be glad that it is finally over.
As the entire world prepares for New Year’s Day on Wednesday and the events that will follow, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin gave each NFL team a resolution for 2025. For the Saints, the goal should be very obvious:
“Embrace the total rebuild. Forever married to short-term roster-building, the Saints are past due for real change, with Derek Carr all but guaranteed to exit. An inspired head-coaching hire would be a nice start.”
For the most part, that is indeed correct. It is absolutely time to ride through the cap issues and start to rebuild the roster. With how their salary cap currently looks as though they will be free of a lot of the weight after 2025, with even more coming off the books in 2026.
Carr, however, is not very likely to leave. His contract will almost certainly keep him from getting released before 2026 and it would be a shock to see a team trade for him given his no-trade clause.
That’s not a guarantee that they will even play Carr, though, as those snaps might be better used on a younger quarterback. No matter what happens with Carr, a rebuild seems likely.
