NFL Draft Opportunity Opens For Patriots After Major QB Report

Another 2025 NFL Draft option opened up for the New England Patriots on Friday.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that threatens his availability for this season. The veteran quarterback is weighing his options, including surgery. Carr is coming off a season where he missed seven games due to hand and oblique injuries. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener are the only active quarterbacks on the New Orleans Saints’ roster.

New Orleans holds the No. 9 pick and is locked into Carr’s contract. It didn’t take long for Patriots fans to connect the dots.

If Shedeur Sanders is still available at No. 4, that likely means Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter were taken in the top three. New England could stand pat and draft Will Campbell, or it could try to field the best offer from the Saints so they can move up and draft Sanders. The No. 9 pick along with two other draft picks — maybe Chris Olave, too — who says no?

That would be the most ideal scenario for the Patriots. However, it takes two to tango. It’s unclear what New Orleans thinks about Sanders. The Colorado product is the consensus No. 2 quarterback in the class, but scouts and evaluators are mixed about how well he’ll translate from college to the NFL. The Saints could trade up for Sanders. But do they want to?

Why wouldn’t the Saints just roll out Rattler or Haener, tank and have the opportunity to draft Arch Manning in the 2026 draft? There’s also this guy Aaron Rodgers who is still available in free agency. New Orleans would be a solid spot for Rodgers, and the offense head coach Kellen Moore would run could help rejuvenate the twilight of his career.

That being said, the Patriots should be on the phone with the Saints if they weren’t already. They should also hope that teams like the Saints fall in love with Sanders once April 24 arrives.